Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RANDOLPH ARD (“ARD”), age 65, of Kentwood, Louisiana, was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B).

According to documents filed in federal court, on November 22, 2017, law enforcement officers with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation arrested ARD at his Kentwood home after finding that ARD was in possession of several items, including a laptop computer and thumb drive that contained images depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent children. Court records also revealed that ARD was previously convicted in Tangipahoa Parish Criminal District Court for pornography involving juveniles and indecent behavior with juveniles on March 6, 2013. ARD was on state parole supervision at the time of his arrest.

U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced ARD to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, sex offender registration, and a $100 special assessment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”  

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and Louisiana Probation and Parole in investigating this matter.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.