Kenner Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that STEVEN GAETA, age 41, of Kenner, pled guilty today to a one-count Bill of Information for crimes involving the possession of child pornography.

According to court records, on November 25, 2014, Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) executed a federal search warrant at GAETA’s Kenner home.  HSI agents determined Gaeta used Peer to Peer file sharing programs to possess approximately 120 videos and 500 images depicting the sexual victimization of children.

GAETA faces a maximum penalty of twenty years, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  He can also be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act.  U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt set sentencing for November 18, 2015.

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."

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter.  Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Fraud Unit Chief, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba is in charge of the prosecution.