LAFAYETTE, La. – Joseph Emery Menard, 44, of Rayne, Louisiana, was sentenced today on child pornography charges, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Menard to 360 months (30 years) in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for receiving child pornography.
Evidence presented at Menard’s guilty plea hearing on May 5, 2020 and the sentencing hearing held today revealed that law enforcement officers received information that the defendant was sexually abusing two young prepubescent children. In order to obtain evidence of that crime, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Menard’s residence. During the search, they seized a computer from his residence. The computer was found to have over 600 images of child pornography, some of which were of prepubescent children. Further investigation revealed that the images were downloaded from the internet and received by Menard on November 6, 11, and 12, 2018 and he knew that the images contained child pornography.
Menard was previously prosecuted in the 15th Judicial District Court for Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. On May 15, 2000, he pled guilty to two counts of molestation of a juvenile, an offense relating to abusive sexual conduct involving a young prepubescent minor.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
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