Topline: Ramanan Pathmanathan used the alias “Brett” to target American minors before his arrest by federal authorities.
Published: June 2, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Ramanan Pathmanathan (via Toronto Police)
WASHINGTON, DC — A federal judge sentenced a Canadian man to 33 years in prison for operating a seven-year online sextortion scheme that targeted 145 children across the United States.
Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court to producing child pornography and to coercion and enticement of a minor. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the plea in a press release. Pathmanathan is already serving a 12‑year sentence in Canada for related crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy named Brett from New Jersey. He contacted his victims primarily on Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pathmanathan demanded that the minors engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video chats. He directed the children to expose themselves and engage in sexual acts.
In almost all the video chats, Pathmanathan sent the children images of adults to show them how to perform the acts, prosecutors said. He recorded the video chats and saved the files on his computer.
When the victims declined to continue or blocked his social media accounts, Pathmanathan threatened to send the recordings to their friends and family, according to the press release. The scheme lasted from 2014 until his arrest in March 2021.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that Pathmanathan spent years methodically hunting children online. Pirro stated that some victims were as young as six.
Pirro said the United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children. She credited Canadian authorities for their assistance in the investigation.
According to a prosecutor’s sentencing memorandum obtained by PEOPLE, the investigation began when the mother of a victim contacted law enforcement. The mother reported that someone was stalking her daughter on social media and forcing her to perform explicit acts.
Investigators traced the internet protocol address to a residence in Toronto, where Pathmanathan lived with his parents and brother.
The memorandum stated that Pathmanathan denied having a sexual interest in children when questioned by law enforcement. He admitted to using the dark web to access violent content, including videos of beheadings and incest.
Defense attorneys wrote in their sentencing memorandum that Pathmanathan moved to Canada from Sri Lanka and later dropped out of college to play poker full time. He experienced early success but later accumulated heavy gambling losses.
By the time Pathmanathan was 30 years old, he lived almost entirely online, according to the defense memorandum. The document stated that isolation led him to riskier online behavior.
In addition to the 33-year prison term, the judge ordered Pathmanathan to serve 10 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Canadian Man Gets 33 Years for Online Sextortion of 145 U.S. Children
Ramanan Pathmanathan used the alias “Brett” to target American minors before his arrest by federal authorities.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 2, 2026 6:00 am ET
Ramanan Pathmanathan (via Toronto Police)
WASHINGTON, DC — A federal judge sentenced a Canadian man to 33 years in prison for operating a seven-year online sextortion scheme that targeted 145 children across the United States.
Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court to producing child pornography and to coercion and enticement of a minor. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the plea in a press release. Pathmanathan is already serving a 12‑year sentence in Canada for related crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy named Brett from New Jersey. He contacted his victims primarily on Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pathmanathan demanded that the minors engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video chats. He directed the children to expose themselves and engage in sexual acts.
In almost all the video chats, Pathmanathan sent the children images of adults to show them how to perform the acts, prosecutors said. He recorded the video chats and saved the files on his computer.
When the victims declined to continue or blocked his social media accounts, Pathmanathan threatened to send the recordings to their friends and family, according to the press release. The scheme lasted from 2014 until his arrest in March 2021.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that Pathmanathan spent years methodically hunting children online. Pirro stated that some victims were as young as six.
Pirro said the United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children. She credited Canadian authorities for their assistance in the investigation.
According to a prosecutor’s sentencing memorandum obtained by PEOPLE, the investigation began when the mother of a victim contacted law enforcement. The mother reported that someone was stalking her daughter on social media and forcing her to perform explicit acts.
Investigators traced the internet protocol address to a residence in Toronto, where Pathmanathan lived with his parents and brother.
The memorandum stated that Pathmanathan denied having a sexual interest in children when questioned by law enforcement. He admitted to using the dark web to access violent content, including videos of beheadings and incest.
Defense attorneys wrote in their sentencing memorandum that Pathmanathan moved to Canada from Sri Lanka and later dropped out of college to play poker full time. He experienced early success but later accumulated heavy gambling losses.
By the time Pathmanathan was 30 years old, he lived almost entirely online, according to the defense memorandum. The document stated that isolation led him to riskier online behavior.
In addition to the 33-year prison term, the judge ordered Pathmanathan to serve 10 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Canadian Man Gets 33 Years for Online Sextortion of 145 U.S. Children
Ramanan Pathmanathan used the alias “Brett” to target American minors before his arrest by federal authorities.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 2, 2026 6:00 am ET
Ramanan Pathmanathan (via Toronto Police)
WASHINGTON, DC — A federal judge sentenced a Canadian man to 33 years in prison for operating a seven-year online sextortion scheme that targeted 145 children across the United States.
Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court to producing child pornography and to coercion and enticement of a minor. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the plea in a press release. Pathmanathan is already serving a 12‑year sentence in Canada for related crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy named Brett from New Jersey. He contacted his victims primarily on Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pathmanathan demanded that the minors engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video chats. He directed the children to expose themselves and engage in sexual acts.
In almost all the video chats, Pathmanathan sent the children images of adults to show them how to perform the acts, prosecutors said. He recorded the video chats and saved the files on his computer.
When the victims declined to continue or blocked his social media accounts, Pathmanathan threatened to send the recordings to their friends and family, according to the press release. The scheme lasted from 2014 until his arrest in March 2021.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that Pathmanathan spent years methodically hunting children online. Pirro stated that some victims were as young as six.
Pirro said the United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children. She credited Canadian authorities for their assistance in the investigation.
According to a prosecutor’s sentencing memorandum obtained by PEOPLE, the investigation began when the mother of a victim contacted law enforcement. The mother reported that someone was stalking her daughter on social media and forcing her to perform explicit acts.
Investigators traced the internet protocol address to a residence in Toronto, where Pathmanathan lived with his parents and brother.
The memorandum stated that Pathmanathan denied having a sexual interest in children when questioned by law enforcement. He admitted to using the dark web to access violent content, including videos of beheadings and incest.
Defense attorneys wrote in their sentencing memorandum that Pathmanathan moved to Canada from Sri Lanka and later dropped out of college to play poker full time. He experienced early success but later accumulated heavy gambling losses.
By the time Pathmanathan was 30 years old, he lived almost entirely online, according to the defense memorandum. The document stated that isolation led him to riskier online behavior.
In addition to the 33-year prison term, the judge ordered Pathmanathan to serve 10 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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