A former Canonsburg, Pennsylvania resident has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of minors and destruction of evidence. Justin Darby, 37, received his sentence on August 27, 2025, from United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. After completing his prison term, Darby will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must pay $28,000 in restitution to his victims.
The court heard that on October 28, 2021, Darby altered and destroyed records linked to an instant messaging application on his cellphone. He did this while agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were attempting to execute a search warrant at his home. The intent was to obstruct an investigation into offenses related to the sexual exploitation of children.
Darby was also convicted for attempting to induce and successfully inducing a minor to send him sexually explicit images via a social media application on February 6, 2024. He accepted responsibility for further offenses involving three other minors between 2023 and early 2024. These offenses included persuading them to send visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct through text messages and social media.
When delivering the sentence, Judge Ranjan stated: “the sentence was justified by Darby’s lack of respect for the law and continued pattern of criminal behavior.”
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted the case.
Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti said: “the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations” were commended “for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Darby.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse cases across the country. The program brings together federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
