Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, TV personality Chris Hansen partner to catch predators
Sheriff Jason Ard announced the collaboration with the star of the TV series, 'To Catch a Predator', on Friday.
'This week has been a great week for law enforcement,' said Ard in a Facebook video. 'We have gotten a lot of people off the street, a lot of these criminals. The ones that we all want to get off the street, more than anything are our predators, those that are after our children.'
Ard and Hansen sat and gave an overview of what was uncovered after his three-day investigation alongside the LPSO's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
'It was a pleasure to work with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office and his detectives, who were incredibly dedicated to catching predators,' said Hansen. 'In the span of three days, we caught 11 men. If we had worked a few more days, there would be even more. We saw guys who were in a police academy in New Orleans, we saw guys who had been arrested before with a criminal history, and we saw white-collar executives. It was truly shocking and it shows me as we do these all over the country, if you're not doing this type of work as a law enforcement agency, you're allowing the departments who are doing the work to push the problem into your parish.'
The sheriff emphasized the consequences if you are caught attempting to prey on children.
'We want to protect our children here in Livingston Parish,' said Ard. 'I know criminals don't care about jurisdictional boundaries, we don't care either. If you want to come to Livingston Parish, you'll get what's coming to you and it's probably going to be Jason Ard's motel. So, we'll proudly send you down there and proudly feed you and keep you there all day.'
Viewers can watch the operations firsthand on Hansen's TV show, 'Takedown with Chris Hansen' on TruBlu Streaming Network and Fox Nation.
Meet the man NFL stars turn to for custom fits and fashion
Trump revokes Biden's security clearance: 'Joe, you're fired'
Is raising chickens the best way to combat egg prices?
Trump signs order to establish White House Faith Office
Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, TV personality Chris Hansen partner to catch predators
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Car of Sacramento mother and baby who were missing for weeks is found underwater
A 36-year-old Sacramento woman and her infant daughter were found submerged under a bridge Sunday morning weeks after they were reported missing following a doctor's appointment, according to a volunteer rescue group and local law enforcement officials. Whisper Owen, 36, and her 8-month-old daughter, Sandra McCarty, were last seen in Atwater on July 15 on their way home from a doctor's appointment. The search ended in tragedy Sunday when Owen and her daughter were found 'pinned under a bridge, underwater,' inside their truck, according to a Facebook post published by Adventures With Purpose, a volunteer dive team that helps search for missing persons. 'She was doing everything she could as a mother to try to save her daughter Sandra,' the post said of Owen. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office confirmed the bodies of both Owen and her daughter were found inside the car, a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer. The vehicle was found near Highway 120 and Victory Avenue in San Joaquin County, the statement read. Fresno police previously said they did not suspect foul play in the disappearances. The California Highway Patrol is investigating how the vehicle wound up submerged, according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Department. Owen and her daughter left Sacramento around 4 a.m. on July 15 and headed south toward Fresno for a doctor's appointment for the baby. Owen stopped at her mother's home to change the child's diaper and then checked in for the appointment at 8:30 a.m., according to Owen's mother, Vickie Torres. Owen visited her brother and returned to her mother's house before 5 p.m. Her silver Trailblazer was detected by a license-plate reader in Atwater, about 65 miles from Fresno, at 8 that night, authorities said. Mother and daughter were last spotted on security footage from a smoke shop in Atwater that captured Owen parking and then changing Sandra's diaper around 7:30 p.m., police said. As family and authorities were searching for the pair, Vickie Torres told The Times: 'It just makes it really hard for me as her mother to shut my brain off and not constantly imagine what could've happened to her. And that beautiful little baby. God, I hope, whatever happened, she's with her mama.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mom Charged After Allegedly Packing Gun in Child's School Backpack to 'Return' It to Their Father: 'Could've Ended in Tragedy'
The student found the firearm in their bag during the first week back at Coppergate Elementary School NEED TO KNOW A Florida mom allegedly sent her young child to school on Aug. 13 with a gun in their backpack, so they could "return the firearm to their father," authorities said The child, "unaware" of the gun, told teachers, who informed the local sheriff's office Mother Sierra Bronner was arrested and charged with child neglect and giving a firearm to a minor A Florida mom has been charged with two felonies after allegedly sending her young child to school with a firearm. During the first week of classes at Coppergate Elementary School, also known as Coppergate School of the Arts, officials found a gun in a student's backpack, according to a news release from the Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO). Upon arriving at the Middleburg-based school on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the student 'discovered' the weapon in their bag, the CCSO said. They then 'told their teacher,' who alerted school officials and the sheriff's office, which was quick to alert the community to the situation. "All children are safe,' Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook wrote in a Facebook post shared early that morning. The notification came as the school was placed in what the CCSO called 'secure status,' meaning educators could 'continue instructing while preventing anyone to leave or enter school grounds,' the sheriff's office said. The gun, meanwhile, was confiscated by CCSO deputies. With the school secure and the gun in CCSO possession, the sheriff's office began an investigation — which quickly led them to the student's mother, Sierra Bronner. "Through investigative techniques and interviews, we discovered the child's parents don't live together; the mother placed the gun in the backpack and told the young child to return the firearm to their father before they left for school,' the CCSO wrote in the news release. 'The child was taken to Coppergate Elementary by their father, who was unaware the gun was in the backpack. Therefore, the firearm ended up on school grounds,' the release stated. Upon learning that Bronner, 39, had allegedly sent the child to school with the firearm, she was arrested and charged with 'child neglect and giving a firearm to a minor,' the CCSO said. Both are felony charges, according to arrest records viewed by PEOPLE. PEOPLE reached out to Bronner and a Coppergate School of the Arts spokesperson for comment, but did not receive an immediate response. The Florida Department of Children and Families was also alerted to the situation and 'responded,' according to the CCSO. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In a statement, Sheriff Cook attributed the incident to a 'poor decision,' and said the situation very well could have 'ended in tragedy.' "It's crucial that parents know what their children are bringing to school before they leave home. Look in their backpacks, ask questions and have conversations on what's appropriate to bring to school,' the sheriff said. 'In this specific case, this was a poor decision and could've ended in tragedy.' "I'm grateful for our partnership with Clay County District Schools and applaud our school resource deputies and detectives for their work to keep our students safe,' Cook added. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Daycare worker charged with first-degree child abuse and battery: ‘Every parent's worst nightmare'
A daycare worker is facing charges of first-degree aggravated battery and three counts of first-degree child abuse following an incident allegedly involving a one-year-old boy. Yvette Thurston, 54, was arrested last Monday, according to police in Bainbridge, Georgia, KCRG reported. Thurston was identified as an employee at the Little Blessings Child Care, located inside the Bainbridge Church of God. Specific details about the case were not made public by law enforcement. Investigators confirmed to KCRG that police were able to view surveillance footage from the daycare, which contributed to their investigation. The father of two boys, aged one and three, slammed the daycare in a Facebook post and alleged that the charges related to his one-year-old son. He shared pictures of one child with a large, deep purple bruise over one of his swollen eyes, and several cuts across his face. 'This was his FIRST DAY!!! This is every parent's worst nightmare and WE had to live it and are still living it,' Cory Weeks wrote. Police confirmed the boy was treated at an area hospital. Calls to Little Blessings Child Care byThe Independent were not immediately returned Sunday. Thurston's bond was set at $44,000 for all four charges. Jail records showed she has since bonded out of Decatur County Jail. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning issued a statement following the incident to WALB: 'The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is aware of the serious allegations of child abuse at Little Blessings Childcare, located at 205 Independent Street in Bainbridge, Georgia 39819. Our agency is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the situation. It has been confirmed that a teacher has been arrested in connection with these allegations. 'As our investigation is still in its early stages, DECAL will continue to work closely with law enforcement and all relevant parties to ensure a comprehensive review of the facts.'
