A 40-year-old Toronto man has been sentenced to 33 years in a U.S. federal prison for sexually exploiting and sextorting hundreds of children online over a seven-year period. Ramanan Pathmanathan, who already faced charges in Canada for similar offenses, was convicted in a Washington D.C. district court after pleading guilty to production of child pornography and coercion of minors.
Extent of the Crimes
According to U.S. authorities, Pathmanathan targeted at least 145 minors, some as young as six years old. He posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook Messenger to gain their trust. Once engaged, he coerced them into producing sexually explicit images and videos, sometimes involving siblings, other relatives, and even dogs. The content was described as sadistic and masochistic, involving foreign objects and live-streamed acts that he recorded using screen capture software.
Investigation and Arrest
Toronto Police arrested Pathmanathan in March 2021 after being alerted by U.S. law enforcement. He was first tried in Ontario, where he pleaded guilty in 2022 to 39 sexual offenses involving eight Canadian victims. He received a sentence of nine years, seven months, and 20 days, with enhanced credit for time served during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ontario Court Justice David Porter noted the difficulty in overstating the seriousness of Pathmanathan's actions and their devastating impact on victims.
U.S. Sentencing
In the U.S. case, Pathmanathan was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison. However, he will serve his Canadian sentence first before extradition. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro condemned the crimes, stating that the United States will not allow international borders to protect child predators. The sentence reflects the extreme depravity of Pathmanathan's actions, which included meticulously organizing his collection of abusive material into files he called 'wins.'
Impact on Victims
The victims, predominantly pre-teen and teen girls, were subjected to horrific abuse that will have lifelong consequences. Authorities emphasized that Pathmanathan's crimes represent a profound betrayal of trust and a violation of innocence. The case highlights the dangers of online predators and the importance of international cooperation in bringing them to justice.
