U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and Homeland Security Investigations Remind Parents to be Vigilant of Online Activity During National Chlid Abuse Prevention Month

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and United States Attorney David C. Joseph of the Western District of Louisiana and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans, are reminding parents to be vigilant of their children’s online activities.

“The investigation and prosecution of Project Safe Childhood cases have not stopped during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “Make no mistake: predators will take advantage of any opportunity, including this pandemic, to exploit child victims.  As children are spending more time online for schoolwork and socialization, parents can protect their children and help us in our fight against predators by paying close attention to their children’s online activities and associations.  Protecting the most vulnerable among us will always be a top priority of my office – especially in time of national emergency.”

Recent prosecutions in the Western District of Louisiana include:

• United States v. John Michael Ward, former pastor of Bellview Baptist Church in Westlake, who was sentenced on February 19, 2020, to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in November 2019 to two counts of production of child pornography;

• United States v. James Gaharan, a former LeGrange High School teacher who was sentenced on February 19, 2020, to 97 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and

• United States v. Damon Lechtenberg, who pleaded guilty on April 9, 2020, to two counts of production of child pornography and faces up to 60 years in federal prison.

“Criminals will always look for targets of opportunity. With the current environment, millions of children around the world are spending additional time online as they shift from a traditional to a virtual classroom,” said New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles. “Our special agents will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the children from cyber predators who seek to take advantage of this innocent and vulnerable population.”

U.S. Attorney Joseph and SAC Miles offer the following tips to help protect children online:

• Review and approve games and apps before they are downloaded.
• Make sure privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible for online gaming systems and electronic devices.
• Monitor your children’s use of the internet.
• Keep electronic devices in a common area of the house.
• Check your children’s profiles and what they post online.
• Explain to your children that images posted online will be permanently on the internet.
• Make sure that children understand online risks – only chat with people they know, block people they don’t know or trust. If anyone asks to engage in sexually explicit activity online, tell a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult about it.

To report suspicious activity or instances of child sexual exploitation, contact your local law enforcement agency. Tips can be submitted online at www.ice.gov/tipline, by phone at 866-DHS-2-ICE or by contacting your local HSI office. Reports can also be filed with NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.