17 is the age of consent in most states, the exceptions are usually younger than that not older. If it is considered child porn here its a technicality where the porn is illegal but actual sex isn't which would be strange (but stranger laws exist.) It's tacky and maybe immoral but not pedophilia unless there is some other crime I haven't seen here.
Good thing the pedophile wasn't charged with pedophilia but the possession of child pornography then. Which honestly, if the Newsweek story is remotely true, means he had to put at least a minimum of effort into getting the child pornography. An effort, financially and otherwise, that would've been more costly then getting a Pornhub subscription or whatever.
Like seriously, if he wanted barely illegal looking child pornography, there's probably lots of websites with younger looking women who are actually over 18. Yet... apparently the CIA managed to get him charged in spite of these resources being available for folks like him just solely based on the word of the victim (as if).
Needless to say, I doubt this is a CIA string. If it is, it's a real low effort one. It's probably run of the mill creepiness and degeneracy. He got better press with a third of the country though because he followed the example of others and patriotically defected to Russia though.