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Press Release

Hammond Man Guilty of Receipt of Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of Minors

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSEPH AUTHEMENT (“AUTHEMENT”), age 25, of Hammond, LA, pled guilty on December 18, 2025, to Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).  AUTHEMENT faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or up to a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense.  In addition, AUTHEMENT faces a minimum of five (5) years of supervised release and up to life, after his release from prison.  He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court documents, on March 11, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”)  obtained a federal search warrant to seize AUTHEMENT’s Apple iPhone.  On March 12, 2024, HSI special agents (“SA”) located AUTHEMENT at his residence in Hammond, LA.  The agents seized AUTHEMENT’s iPhone and located images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors on that phone.  SAs later determined AUTHEMENT used Telegram to download and purchase child sex abuse materials.

Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for March 19, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

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 Attorney’s 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

Contact

Shane Jones 

Community Outreach Coordinator 

U.S. Attorney's Office 

Eastern District of Louisiana

Updated December 23, 2024

Topic
Project Safe Childhood