Kentwood Man, Keith J. Pendarvis, Indicted For Failure To Register As Sex Offender

KEITH J. PENDARVIS, age 38, a resident of Kentwood, Louisiana, was charged today in an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for failure to register as a sex offender, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.

If convicted of the failure to register charge, PENDARVIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $250,000 and up to 3 years of supervised release.

U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.

(Download Indictment )