ERIE, Pa. - A Garrettsville man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie, Pennsylvania, on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors.

Federal authorities announced that Robert Alan Pepus, 26, faces a six-count indictment alleging violations of federal laws.

According to the indictment, Pepus traveled across state lines in September and October 2024 with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor. He is also accused of inducing the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create visual depictions and of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Pepus has been jailed on $100,000 bond in Warren County, Pennsylvania, since his arrest in October.

If convicted, Pepus faces a maximum total sentence of up to life plus 130 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both.

The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.