Press Releases
JEFFERSON MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
June 2, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALPH ROBERTS, 65, of Jefferson, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court to felonies involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten today.
RALPH ROBERTS pled guilty before U. S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to Count 1 of the Bill of Information charging ROBERTS with possession of child pornography. ROBERTS faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in federal prison. Upon his release from custody he will be placed on supervised release up to a term of life, be required to give a DNA sample, and will have to register as a sex offender.
According to documents filed in federal court, federal agents found the defendant in possession of a personal computer and discs that contained approximately 868 images and 5 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. ROBERTS admitted that he had been receiving child pornography via the Internet since 1997.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 8, 2009 before U. S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation of this case was conducted by Special Agents of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
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