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United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Ezra P. West, age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to possession of child pornography.  As a result of his conviction, West faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release—which includes sex offender registration requirements.

According to admissions made during his plea, from on or about May 10, 2015, and continuing until May 10, 2019, West used web service provider accounts, mobile applications, and websites to obtain child pornography.  West possessed approximately 1,869 total videos and 6,668 total images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and toddlers.

This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.