Homestead man accused of distributing videos of child sexual abuse after international investigation

PITTSBURGH — A Homestead man is federally charged with the distribution of videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced charges against Charles John Beanner, 52, on Friday. Beanner was arrested the day before by Homeland Security agents.

Rivetti says, per an affidavit, the charges stem from an investigation by Swedish officials and Homeland Security investigations that identified Beanner among individuals in the United States and overseas who were sharing videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

Beanner is accused of distributing the videos on two occasions, once in 2024 and again in 2026.

Rivetti says this same investigation by the Swedish government resulted in the arrests of Swedish suspects involved in the sexual exploitation.

Prosecutors have filed a request for Beanner’s detention pending trial, asserting he is a danger to the community and should be held without bail. A hearing on this motion is scheduled for Tuesday.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The project combats child sexual exploitation and abuse by marshaling federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute offenders and to identify and rescue victims.

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