A former Allegheny County emergency dispatcher has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection to a child porn investigation.

Robert Bookshar is in federal custody after being indicted on 20 counts of sexually exploiting minors.

>> Allegheny County telecommunications officer facing child porn charges

The federal indictment, unsealed Thursday, alleges Bookshar coerced two minors into making child porn between August 23, 2022 and May 12, 2023.

It claims he also downloaded at least 288 child porn photos and 84 videos between September 2021 and February 2023.

Bookshar was first arrested by Allegheny County Police on June 29, 2023, following a raid of his Boyd Street home in Turtle Creek.

Court paperwork shows investigators seized a cell phone, two laptops, and a hard drive.

In June, the County confirmed Bookshar was placed on indefinite unpaid leave.

He worked for the County since 2014.

Channel 11 reached out to the County for comment on the new federal indictment but has not heard back.

If convicted, Bookshar faces 15-440 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million.

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