PITTSBURGH – A resident of Duquesne, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
George Cobbs, age 41, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 14, 2021; September 22, 2021; and September 30, 2021, Cobbs attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for April 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 90 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Cobbs remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Duquesne Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cobbs.
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.