Haughton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

SHREVEPORT, LA—U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that John James William Bonacci, Sr., 70, of Haughton, Louisiana, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 10 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, authorities searched Bonacci’s home on February 17, 2012, in connection with a child molestation complaint. Before a search of his home was conducted, Bonacci admitted to viewing pornography for many years. Authorities found more than 1,100 videos and 90 photographs depicting child pornography. Some of the videos contained images of children under 12 years of age and some had children as young as one year. Bonacci pleaded guilty on October 29, 2012.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Northwest Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Bossier Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched 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 (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 www.justice.gov/psc.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp and to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI Resident Agency number is (318) 861-1890.