Arabi Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charges

NEW ORLEANS, LA—JACOB B. JOHANNESSEN, JR., 28, a resident of Arabi, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to 63 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, JOHANNESSEN was ordered to register as a sex offender, pay $551,519.86 in restitution to the representatives of two victims who were identified in the child pornographic images, and serve five years of supervised release following imprisonment, during which time he will be under federal supervision and risks additional imprisonment should he violate any terms of the release.

According to court documents, on or about April 1, 2009, JOHANNESSEN was found to be in possession of a computer that contained approximately 134 images of child pornography.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Chester.