A former resident of Monaca, Pennsylvania, Nicholas Sittig, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in the sexual exploitation of a minor and obstructing justice. This sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV on June 23, 2025. Court documents revealed that from August 2023 to April 2024, Sittig coerced a minor living in California into creating sexually explicit content for his gratification. In December 2023, upon learning about the federal investigation against him, Sittig convinced the minor to help destroy evidence related to his offenses.
Additionally, Homeland Security Investigations identified another victim residing in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who was similarly exploited online by Sittig between December 2023 and March 2024.
Before sentencing, Judge Stickman highlighted the severity of Sittig’s crimes and acknowledged the impact on his victims. Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti praised multiple agencies for their role in investigating and prosecuting Sittig: Homeland Security Investigations—Pittsburgh; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (San Francisco and Pittsburgh); Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; and Monaca Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts across federal, state, and local levels.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood visit www.justice.gov/psc.
