Toronto Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting Over 100 Children in United States
A Toronto man has entered a guilty plea in a disturbing case of online child exploitation that spanned multiple years and involved hundreds of victims across the United States. Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, admitted to sexually exploiting more than 100 children through social media platforms, according to authorities.
Details of the Criminal Charges and Investigation
The U.S. Justice Department announced that Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and coercion to entice a minor. He was arrested on December 5, 2025, after being temporarily surrendered to American authorities.
A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Justice Department's Criminal Division, emphasized the significance of this development in a statement: "Today's guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions."
Duva further explained the defendant's methods: "For years, while hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, he used manipulation, threats, and fear to coerce unsuspecting juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts, robbing them of their innocence."
Pattern of Exploitation and Modus Operandi
As part of a plea agreement, Pathmanathan admitted to exploiting 145 girls and boys over a seven-year period by posing as a teenage boy online. His criminal activities included:
- Demanding that children engage in sexually explicit activities during video chats
- Sending sexually explicit images to his victims
- Recording victims' sexual acts without their consent
- Using recorded material to blackmail victims into continued engagement
The sexual exploitation reportedly stopped after Toronto police arrested Pathmanathan in 2021. In October 2022, he pleaded guilty to similar offences in Canada and received a 12-year prison sentence, according to the Department of Justice.
Legal Consequences and Sentencing Timeline
If convicted on the American charges, Pathmanathan faces severe penalties including:
- Life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 25 years
- Substantial financial fines
- Supervised release following any prison term
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2026, marking the next phase in this international child exploitation case that has drawn attention from law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges authorities face in combating online child exploitation and the importance of international cooperation in prosecuting offenders who operate across jurisdictional boundaries.
