Former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced in Federal Court for Child Pornography Charges

LAFAYETTE, LA—United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Daniel J. Bourque, Jr., 33, of Erath, Louisiana, was sentenced today to serve 12 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik in federal court in Lafayette. In addition to the prison term, the judge also sentenced Bourque to 15 years of supervised release following confinement.

Bourque, a former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy, pled guilty in February of 2012 to receiving child pornography. The investigation revealed that the defendant used an Internet peer to peer site which is regularly used to receive child pornography. During a search of Bourque’s residence, he admitted to agents that he had downloaded child pornography from the Internet. Agents seized five hard drives, cell phones, and various compact discs that contained approximately 15 videos of child pornography and approximately 630 images of child pornography.

United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley stated, “Anyone who distributes, downloads, or collects child pornography will face serious consequences. They should understand that this office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, is committed to doing everything we can to protect children. We will prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law and will ask for sentences that reflect these horrendous criminal acts.”

The case was investigated by the Louisiana State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James T. McManus.

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 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.

The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.