West Monroe Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography Images

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Emerson Eugene Stanton, 56, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography that included sexually explicit images of juveniles.  Judge Doughty also sentenced Stanton to five years of supervised release following his incarceration.

According to information presented in court, Stanton’s employer found internet searches for nude images of children on the defendant’s cell phone, and took the phone that day to the West Monroe Police Department.  Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for Stanton’s cell phone and discovered images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.  A search warrant was also executed at Stanton’s home where officers found another cell phone containing more images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, including one of the same images officers found on the phone Stanton possessed at work.  Stanton pled guilty to these charges on March 8, 2019.

Homeland Security Investigations and West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.

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 and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423.  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 www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app.  Tips may be submitted anonymously.

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