Bossier City resident pleads guilty to receiving child pornography

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.

Christopher J. Leger, 52, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of receiving child pornography.  According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, federal agents executed a search warrant on March 13, 2014 on Leger’s residence. Child pornography had previously been downloaded from a computer at the address. After examining media devices from the residence, agents found 76 images and two videos of child pornography.

Leger faces 15 to 40 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, mandatory registration as a sex offender and forfeiture of property seized during the investigation. A sentencing date of March 3, 2016 was set.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips also may be submitted anonymously.

Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.