PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Pitcairn and Trafford, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 270 months’ imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release on her conviction for production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence yesterday on Rebecca Owens, age 25.
According to information presented to the court, from May 17-19, 2019, Owens communicated with another individual online through the social media application Skout/MeetMe and discussed sexually abusing Minor A, a minor known to Owens. At sentencing, the Court was presented with additional text message conversations that Owens had with another individual from January through July 2019, wherein Owens engaged in a sexually graphic discussion and offered children known to her, including Minor A, to this other individual to be sexually abused. The government also presented the Court with evidence that, during the text message conversations with this other individual, Owens, again, created and sent sexually explicit images of Minor A.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville noted the “exceptionally troubling” nature of Owens’ very serious criminal conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Allegheny County Police Department, and the New Castle Police Department, and the Pitcairn Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Owens.
