Shippenville Resident Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Shippenville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 262 months of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Thomas Joseph Manno, 41.

According to information presented to the Court, in June 2022, Manno communicated online with a law enforcement officer working in an undercover capacity. During Manno's communications with the officer, Manno expressed his interest in the sexual abuse of children and sent the officer images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, including an image produced by Manno.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Montgomery County (Texas) Constable's Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Manno.

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, 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.