A Charlotte woman will spend more than two decades in federal prison after admitting she produced sexual images and videos of a prepubescent child, according to federal authorities.
Aisha Khan, 40, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Pakistan, was sentenced Friday to 262 months in federal prison, which is just over 21 years, after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse material. She will be on supervised release for the rest of her life once she leaves prison. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson called the crimes “unfathomable” at the sentencing, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors' account
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal prosecutors said Homeland Security Investigations opened a probe in 2023 after uncovering evidence that Khan had produced child sexual abuse material.
Investigators determined that between October and December 2021, Khan created multiple images and videos depicting a prepubescent female victim, then later sent that material to another person, according to the same release.
Sentence and custody
Local reporting by WCNC and court records indicate that Khan pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, 2025. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick J. Miller and Sara Kinlaw prosecuted the case.
Khan has been held in federal custody and will be transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility once officials designate where she will serve her sentence.
Legal context
Production of child sexual abuse material is a federal crime that comes with some of the stiffest penalties on the books. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2251, a first-time conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years, with supervised release that can run from five years to life.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates investigations and prosecutions of child exploitation offenses. More information is available from the DOJ and the federal code.
What happens next
Khan was ordered to serve 262 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. She remains in federal custody while the Bureau of Prisons determines where she will be housed.
According to prosecutors, Homeland Security Investigations worked alongside a number of local and state partners on the case. Officials said the prosecution is part of continuing efforts in the Western District of North Carolina to crack down on the sexual exploitation of children.
