Clairton Resident Indicted on 19 Counts of Sexual Exploitation of Minors

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The 19-count Indictment named Joseph Primiero, 26, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on January 22, 2022, and between June 13, 2022, and June 28, 2022, Primiero produced material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. During that same time frame, Primiero allegedly coerced and enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity, received and distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, and transferred obscene images and videos of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct to a minor. Additionally, Primiero is charged with possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age on May 22, 2024.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $4.75 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.