Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Christopher Aaron Stanfield, a 37-year-old resident of Natchitoches, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 97 months in prison for possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and handed down by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell. In addition to his prison term, Stanfield will undergo five years of supervised release.
The case began on October 6, 2020, when officers from the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant at Stanfield's residence. A search warrant had also been obtained for his apartment as part of an ongoing investigation. During the operation, law enforcement collected several electronic devices including iPads, a laptop, and an iPhone.
Stanfield admitted to committing various criminal offenses such as theft and identity theft during interviews with law enforcement. He also confessed to using the "dark web" for these activities. A forensic examination conducted by the Bossier City Marshal’s Office Cybercrime Unit revealed approximately 513 still images and six videos depicting sexual exploitation of minors on his seized devices.
He pleaded guilty to the charges on March 14, 2024. The investigation involved collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Bossier City Marshal’s Office Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The program involves cooperation between federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and rescue victims.
In related statistics from 2023 provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), there were 36 million reports concerning child sexual abuse materials' possession or distribution. Incidents can be reported through https://report.cybertip.org or via phone at 1-800-843-5678.
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