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JEFFERSON MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
HERBERT POCHE, 60, a resident of Jefferson, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday in federal court before U. S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to a felony involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, after receiving information that HEBERT POCHE had purchased access to child pornography websites, on June 8, 2009, federal agents located POCHE at his business in Jefferson, Louisiana. POCHE was found to be in possession of computers that contained 77 videos depicting the sexual victimization of minor children. POCHE admitted to subscribing to websites offering child pornography
POCHE faces a possible maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a life-term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for December 15, 2010.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is being investigated by special agents from the U. S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.