Covington Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DARRELL RICKS, age 66, of Covington, pled guilty today to crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, beginning at an unknown time to on or about October 21, 2016, RICKS knowingly downloaded and received images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors.

RICKS faces a maximum sentence of up to twenty years imprisonment, followed by up to a lifetime term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown will sentence RICKS on October 19, 2017.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Fraud Section Chief, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.