Toronto man gets 33 years in U.S. prison over ‘sextortion scheme’ targeting kids

WASHINGTON — American authorities say a Toronto man has been sentenced to 33 years in prison in what they describe as a “prolific sextortion scheme” that targeted more than 100 children across the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia says the sentence comes after 40-year-old Ramanan Pathmanathan pleaded guilty in January to one count each of production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor.

The office says in a news release that the prison term will run after the 12-year sentence Pathmanathan is currently serving in Canada, where he pleaded guilty to similar offences in the fall of 2022.

It says Pathmanathan’s U.S. sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and he must also register as a sex offender.

The release says court documents show Pathmanathan used multiple social media accounts, primarily Instagram and Facebook Messenger, to get in touch with at least 145 girls and boys, some as young as six years old.

It says he demanded they engage in sexually explicit conduct while on video chats with him, including exposing their genitals and engaging in sexual acts with dogs, siblings and other relatives.

The news release says he recorded what the children did and saved the files to his computer, then threatened to send images to the friends and family of any children who wanted to stop participating or blocked his social media accounts.

“This defendant spent years methodically hunting children online. He targeted more than 145 victims, some as young as six, and subjected them to horrors no child should ever experience,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.

“The United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children, and I am grateful to our Canadian partners for ensuring this predator faced justice on both sides of the border.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2026.