Morgan City man pleads guilty to possessing child porn

A Morgan City man pleaded guilty Thursday to using the internet to download and possess child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said in a news release.

Joshua Landry, 40, of Morgan City, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of receiving child pornography. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.

According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Landry as downloading child pornography to an electronic device in his home. Agents searched the home Feb. 8. The defendant’s cell phone was searched and three child pornography videos were found. He also admitted during an interview with agents that he downloaded child pornography, Van Hook stated.

Landry faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, mandatory registration as a sex offender and up to a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for Feb. 16, 2018.

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.

Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lafayette FBI office number is 337-262-2164.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.