Feds claim Allegheny County man had illegal guns, child porn, violent ideology

An Allegheny County man who authorities claim had numerous guns and espouses a “racially motivated, violent extremist ideology” is now facing a charge of possessing child pornography.

Aidan Harding, 20, of Crescent, was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in U.S. District Court.

Harding remains in custody following a Feb. 12 detention hearing in which prosecutors said the pornographic images he had showed violent sexual assaults.

At that hearing, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, prosecutors presented evidence that Harding had targeted Pittsburgh’s Jewish community with antisemitic fliers. Prosecutors said Harding had more than 20 guns and had made statements online about his interest in “political and revenge driven” mass casualty events.

He also referred to the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill in which 11 people were killed on Oct. 27, 2018.

Harding, who was previously adjudicated delinquent in juvenile court for terroristic threats after saying online he had a desire to commit a “high kill count” attack, had videos of mass shootings from the United States and other countries, according to prosecutors. In addition, the prosecution said, he filmed himself re-enacting the Columbine mass shooting at a memorial to the victims.

In a court document opposing detention, Harding’s defense attorneys said he does not pose a danger to the community, is not a flight risk and has no passport.

The filing said that Harding has deep ties to the area, graduated from Quaker Valley High School and works on his mother’s farm. He has never failed to appear for court or fled from police, they wrote.

The defense said Harding would live with his mother if released on bond.

Harding’s lawyers claimed two of the videos involved in the child pornography case were less than three seconds long, and one of the images was animated. They argued in a court filing that the affidavit against Harding, which is under seal, deals with conduct unrelated to the child pornography charge.

“To the extent that the government relies on assertions of that the defendant is adherent to a violent racist ideology or has visited internet sites associated with racially or ethnically motivated extremism, it may be deplorable but it is not criminal,” the defense wrote.

The lawyers called it protected speech under the First Amendment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown was unmoved and ordered Harding to remain in custody pending trial.

The judge found that no combination of conditions could reasonably assure the safety of the community, noting that the weight of the evidence against Harding was strong, and he faces a lengthy prison term if convicted.

The grand jury’s indictment alleges Harding had child pornography that was found Dec. 11 during a search of his home by the FBI, Crescent and Allegheny County Police officers.

Officers who arrived at 6:30 a.m. that day said they found a total of 90 grams of marijuana in rooms throughout his house — including inside a safe — as well as bongs, grinders, rolling cones and a butane torch.

They also found a journal in which Harding wrote in German “Ich Liebe Weed,” which means “I love weed,” in English.

Harding also faces charges in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court stemming from that search.

In a message he sent on an electronic tablet on April 19, 2024, the complaint said Harding wrote: “Yea, I hate medications. I stopped taking them when I was 14 and switched to weed, best decision I ever made honestly much more natural and not chemically engineered in a lab by a bunch of filthy [expletive.]”

Then, on Jan. 10, according to the criminal complaint, Harding bought an AR-15-style rifle at National Armory in Moon. He also purchased several magazines and ammunition, police said, and returned on Jan. 14 to buy additional ammunition and magazines.

As part of the firearms purchase process, the complaint continued. Harding was required to attest that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana.

On the form, Harding marked that box “no,” county police wrote. However, based on the marijuana evidence found in Harding’s home, the complaint said, “this would all suggest that Aidan Harding is the end consumer of the marijuana found in his residence and therefore a marijuana user.”

He was charged by county police with unsworn falsification to authorities and the illegal purchase of a gun. Harding separately faces two counts in state court stemming from the marijuana possession.