A Pittsburgh resident recently admitted guilt in a federal court for receiving materials related to child sexual abuse, as per Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti. Michael J. Close Jr., 53, of the city's Beechview neighborhood, pled guilty to one count yesterday before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
The guilty plea sheds light on Close's illicit activities – from May 16, 2022, to July 6, 2022, he was involved in the purchase and reception of videos and stills that exploited minors, some not even having reached puberty. According to information presented in court, Close used a cryptocurrency account and a currency exchange to transfer bitcoin to a Russian vendor online, as detailed in a statement from the Department of Justice.
Upon receiving payment, the vendor provided Close with passwords to access the encrypted abusive content. Close's sentencing is set for May 28. He faces a sentence ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years in prison and potential fines reaching $250,000. Judge Bissoon, adhering to the seriousness of the offense and considering any prior criminal history, will determine the actual sentence under the federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Pending his sentencing, Judge Bissoon ordered Close to be remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is the prosecuting attorney for this case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations teams from Pittsburgh and Portland, Maine. This prosecution stems from Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
