METAIRIE MAN INDICTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
MICHAEL G. MEANY, 38, of Metairie, Louisiana, was indicted today by a Federal Grand Jury in New Orleans on six counts of crimes against children, including Aggravated Sexual Abuse; Production of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; and Receipt of Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to today’s indictment, MEANY utilized personal computers, the Internet and cellular phones as facilities of interstate commerce to engage in communications with minors throughout the United States; including Louisiana, Maine, and Mississippi. In so doing, it is alleged that MEANY lured these underage girls in both Louisiana and Mississippi, tracked them down and had sexual relations with these minor victims. In additional, it is alleged that MEANY coerced a minor girl to take sexually explicit images of herself and send those to him. It is further alleged that MEANY transmitted obscene and sexually explicit images to a minor girl in Maine. Finally the indictment alleges that MEANY had intentionally downloaded and received numerous images of child pornography; all of which were located on his computers that were seized on October 29, 2009..
According to the indictment, MEANY communicated with minors using Teenspot.com, MySpace.com, Yahoo!, AOL Instant Messenger Service (AIM), and Stickam.com; established profiles of 14 and 15 year old boys on MySpace.com and other Internet social networking websites in order to meet minor girls; claimed to have approximately 200 underage friends on MySpace.com; and claimed he had sexually explicit communications with as many as 100 minor girls; several of whom sent him sexually explicit images. Specifically, MEANY allegedly used the following screen names, among others, to communicate with minors: “Mcowboy35@yahoo.com”; “ceneemo13@yahoo.com”; “Me.again69@yahoo.com”; “Tommythompson89@yahoo.com”; “Blah.blahh66@yahoo.com”; “Racerx1535@yahoo.com”; “Aitsme28@yahoo.com”; “Jsm2332000@yahoo.com”; “Jsm233@yahoo.com”; “Wthwtf19@yahoo.com”; “Helloagain@yahoo.com”; and “racerbobx@aol.com.”
If convicted, MEANY faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years and a possible maximum penalty of life, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, over $1 million in fines and MEANY will be required to register as a sex offender. A federal arrest warrant was issued for MEANY today. MEANY has been in custody since October 29, 2009 on a Tennessee probation violation.
According to Acting Special Agent in Charge, Raymond R. Parmer Jr., of the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Investigations in New Orleans, “Too many children are victimized by predators that target the most vulnerable among us - our children. ICE is committed to apprehending and presenting for prosecution cases involving those who abuse our children and endanger their lives and well-being. We will continue working with federal, state and local agencies to ensure that those who try to hurt children are brought to justice.”
Anyone having information regarding this important matter is encouraged to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Investigations at 504-310-8800.
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.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. 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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