McKees Rocks Man Pleads Guilty To Attempted To Coerce A Child For Sex
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 6:45 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PITTSBURGH, NJ.- A 35-year-old McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, man, when sentenced, is potentially facing spending the rest of his life in federal prison after pleading guilty on Tuesday to attempting to coerce and persuade who he thought was a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, only to learn he was communicating with an undercover investigator.
On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Ryan Peters, 35, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab to one count of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Child; and one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
According To Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti and charging documents filed with the District Court, on August 6, 2021, law enforcement Investigators obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant on Peters’ McKees Rocks residence after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding online child pornography activity.
During the search, Investigators located and seized multiple electronic devices, including a cellular phone hidden in a cat litter box in the hallway of the home, as well as Peters’ laptop. A subsequent forensic examination of the devices uncovered child pornography, including five video files and eleven digital images depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, including prepubescent children under the age of twelve, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
A few weeks later, Peters utilized a social media networking and dating application to contact and attempt to persuade and entice an individual he believed was a 12-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to engage in illegal, explicit sexual activity. The alleged 12-year-old girl was, in fact, an undercover FBI Agent.
Peters Attempts To Coerce Child Who Is Actually Undercover Agent
During their online conversations over the next few weeks, Peters discussed sex with the alleged child and solicited the child to send him sexually explicit digital images of herself. Peters then suggested that they meet in person and, following a failed attempt to do so in late August, again arranged to meet the alleged child on September 13, 2021. Peters was taken into custody upon his arrival at the prearranged meeting location.
Following entering his guilty plea on Tuesday, Judge Schwab accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 12, 2025. At that time, Peters faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as at least 5 years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offenses and Peters’ prior criminal history.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Peters.
