Pittsburgh man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of minors

A Pittsburgh man convicted of sexually exploiting children has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison followed by supervised release for the rest of his life, authorities said Thursday.

Wayne Edward McNutt, 58, was sentenced by Senior U.S. Judge Joy Flowers Conti.

Authorities said McNutt communicated with a person who he believed had a child available for sexual activity from Feb. 25 to July 26, 2021. McNutt was actually communicating with undercover law enforcement agents.

Authorities said McNutt made plans to meet a child for sex and solicited advice from the child’s purported guardian about how to make the child trust him and feel comfortable during McNutt’s intended encounter.

On two occasions, McNutt sent the undercover agent images and a video depicting child sexual abuse.

He also sent money for the purported child and the child’s guardian to travel from another state to Pittsburgh, where McNutt had booked a hotel room for all of them, authorities said.

McNutt was arrested on July 26, 2021, when he arrived to meet who he thought was a child at a hotel.

McNutt also possessed a cellphone that contained additional videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Authorities said McNutt was arrested while on state probation for a 2012 conviction for the aggravated indecent assault of a child.

Judge Conti stated lifetime supervised release was necessary to protect the community from McNutt’s very serious and repetitive criminal conduct.