Child predator investigation in Livingston Parish featured on celebrity true crime series
WALKER, La. (Louisiana First News) — Last month, a three-day sting operation led to 11 arrests in Livingston Parish. Deputies got a bonus from working with a celebrity investigator.
Chris Hansen is known for his work on Dateline's 'To Catch a Predator' and series like 'Takedown with Chris Hansen,' which is on his true crime streaming service, TruBlu. The veteran journalist has become famous in popular society for his investigations alongside law enforcement agencies about child sexual predators.
'Twenty-one years into doing these predator investigations, and guys are still showing up,' Hansen said.
In February, Hansen and deputies with LPSO's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force set up at a home to catch people. Deputies pretended to be a 14-year-old child online, and some men pursued the fake child to the point of agreeing to show up to the home for sexual purposes.
The sting resulted in 11 arrests, including a Baton Rouge school worker, future police officer and people from different backgrounds and occupations.
'Next thing you know, here we are, arresting this person who's coming after this child,' said Sheriff Jason Ard.
The task force started in October 2023 when the Louisiana Attorney General's Office partnered with LPSO to create a unit specifically targeting child predators. Ard said the group started with only one investigator and has quickly grown as the work is proven necessary. The work led to 56 arrests across the world last year, according to sheriff's office statistics.
That work impressed Hansen, who has done some investigations in Louisiana.
'It caught Hansen's attention, and he reached out to me,' Ard said. 'We started having a conversation.'
Ard said the work is far from easy, and no normal officers can take it on. These task force members often spend countless hours conversing with predators to convince them they are safe from arrest, and they have to witness some of humanity's worst features.
'Sometimes 24/7, they are dealing with these predators, trying to get them,' Ard said.
Hansen said the sting was worthwhile, and he respects the deputies who led the way.
'It was very successful, as you've seen,' Hansen said.
Hansen said it is important for parents to stay vigilant. Predators can use any type of social media account to target children, and even ones that seem protected can be home to criminals.
'It's harder to detect now, but it's happening more than ever before,' Hansen said.
The full investigations can be seen on the streaming service TruBlu along with other sting operations Hansen has been part of across the country.
Child predator investigation in Livingston Parish featured on celebrity true crime series
Warehouse accused site of fraternity ritual that leaves 1 man dead; EBR leader speaks out
Is Social Security money going to 'millions' of people listed as old as 149?
GOP plows forward with government funding plan despite Democratic opposition
Livingston Parish enhances animal control and expands shelter services
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
34 minutes ago
Republican South Carolina House member charged with distributing child sexual abuse material
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A Republican South Carolina House member who prosecutors say used the screen name 'joebidennnn69' has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children. RJ May was arrested Wednesday at his Lexington County home after a lengthy investigation and is scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday. An indictment says the three-term Republican used several online names including 'joebidennnn69' to exchange files on the Kik social media network. The indictment didn't contain any additional details on the charges, which carry prison terms of five to 20 years upon conviction. May is a political consultant who has angered fellow House Republicans by running campaigns for candidates running against GOP incumbents in primaries. After his election in 2020, May helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House's most conservative members who have run their own candidate against the Republican House speaker and refuse to join the Majority Caucus because they say it requires a loyalty pledge. The mainstream House Republicans aren't the true conservative heart of the GOP, the group said. The Freedom Caucus released a statement Wednesday night saying they kicked May out of their group after his arrest. May was one of the House's more vocal members after he arrived, frequently criticizing bills and discussing conservative amendments. 'We as legislators have an obligation to insure that out children have no harm done to them,' May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors. His oldest son charmed the House in April 2021 when May brought him to visit for his third birthday and the boy practiced his parade wave around the chamber. But that stopped in October, when federal prosecutors filed court papers saying the investigators seized a number of electronic devices from May, and they anticipated filing a criminal indictment. The documents provided no further details, but speculation has grown about the case. Many have distanced themselves from May, who during the current session could largely be seen at his corner desk in the back of the 124-seat chamber, mixing with very few colleagues.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Walz, Hochul, Pritzker face off with Congress as Newsom battles Trump
Democratic "sanctuary governors" will face a barrage of tough questions at a highly anticipated congressional hearing Thursday morning, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump continue to throw jabs over immigration policy. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will testify before the House Oversight Committee and sources tell Fox that Los Angeles riots over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and Newsom's battle with Trump will likely be prominent topics of discussion. Gop Leadership Unleashes Fury On Dem Governor Ahead Of Blockbuster Congressional Hearing Fox News Digital obtained opening remarks to be delivered by Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., which will set the tone for the fiery hearing. "These Governors handcuff law enforcement from doing their jobs, harbor predators, and call it 'compassion,'" Comer's opening remarks explain. "It is NOT compassion, and it is costing lives, hurting Americans, and draining taxpayer money. Congress must consider whether to defund every single penny of federal dollars going to cities and states that prioritize criminal aliens over the American people." Gavin Newsom Mocked For Tech Issues During Anti-trump Address To Californians: 'Absolute Fail' Read On The Fox News App "Americans want a return to common sense. The Trump Administration and this Republican Congress aims to restore our safety and sovereignty. It is past time for these governors to put Americans first." All three Democratic governors testifying at the hearing sided with Newsom in a statement Sunday addressing Trump's use of the National Guard to dispel riots that have been raging over the past few days in Los Angeles. Rioters set cars on fire, looted businesses, and clashed with law enforcement. "We stand with Governor Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation," the statement signed by Walz, Pritzker and Hochul reads. Los Angeles Business Owners 'Sick And Tired' Of 'Stupid' Anti-ice Rioters Looting Their Stores Since LA's riots, protests over President Trump's immigration policies have since spread to Pritzker and Hochul's states on Tuesday with large gatherings in Lower Manhattan in New York and Federal Plaza in Chicago, blocking off streets and causing disruptions. Fox News Digital also received J.B. Pritzker's opening remarks, where the governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate said his state "could not simply ignore the suffering" illegal migrants faced in Illionis. "The crisis at the southern border in recent years has been devastating; the response from some of our political leaders even more so," Prtizker's statement reads. "As individuals fleeing poverty, violence, and persecution arrived at our border, our nation's leaders were confronted with a choice: would we do everything possible to make the promise of America the practice of America?" Jb Pritzker Rips Trump As 'Authoritarian,' Responds To President Calling Out His Weight "Some border state governors and mayors abandoned our nation's highest ideals – instead of choosing to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to treat people as pawns, busing them to states like ours in a dehumanizing attempt to leverage the crisis for political gain. The State of Illinois chose a different path." Republican members on the Oversight Committee spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of Thursday's action, saying the three governors testifying "are willing to trade public safety for left-wing virtue signaling." "Democrat-run sanctuary states shield criminal aliens from federal immigration enforcement, put law enforcement in unnecessary danger, and disregard the safety of millions of Americans," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan told Fox News Digital. "Seventy-seven million people gave President Trump a mandate last November to put an end to the Democrats' prioritization of illegal aliens over American citizens. And he's doing just that." National Guard Troops Detain Anti-ice Protesters In Los Angeles Under Trump's Orders "To folks like Walz, Hochul and Pritzker, sanctuary state policies are a badge of honor. They are willing to trade public safety for left-wing virtue signaling," said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "Perhaps Governor Gavin Newsom will take a break from defying federal authority to tune in and see why Americans are fleeing California in droves to escape his failed policies that invite illegal migrant crime and anarchist thugs," Fallon added. The stage is set for the hearing, which will take place on Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul and Walz but did not receive a article source: Walz, Hochul, Pritzker face off with Congress as Newsom battles Trump
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump for her handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping the city, which follows a history of political scandals and criticisms across her decades as an elected official, Fox News Digital has learned. Bass, who was sworn in as mayor in 2022, is under fire after denouncing immigration raids that began in LA on Friday, when federal law enforcement officials converged on the city, sparking protests that soon devolved into violence and chaos. Trump administration officials have since argued that Democratic rhetoric denouncing the immigration raids, while simultaneously offering messages of support to illegal immigrants residing in the nation, emboldened protesters, which led to the riots. "Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, because their entire political movement exists for one purpose: to promote mass migration into our country," Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on Tuesday. "It is their reason for being. Democratic leadership has no solution for the economy, for prosperity, or for security. They use their power when they're in the majority to import millions of illegal immigrants and when they're in opposition they do everything possible to prevent deportations." Social Media, Trump Admin Erupts Over La Mayor's Reaction To Ice Raids: 'You're A Criminal Too' As Bass faces ongoing condemnation from the Trump administration over the violence in Southern California, Fox Digital took a look back at previous scandals and incidents that landed the former House lawmaker in hot water. Read On The Fox News App As Bass was floated as a top contender to join former President Joe Biden as his running mate during the 2020 election, multiple news reports parsed Bass' past comments on communist leaders, including lamenting Communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's death in 2016 in a statement. "I wish to express my condolences to the Cuban people and the family of Fidel Castro. The passing of the Comandante en Jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba. I hope together, our two nations will continue on the new path of support and collaboration with one another, and continue in the new direction of diplomacy," she said in a statement after his death. "Comandante en Jefe" translates to commander in chief. Bass distanced herself from the statement as she faced vetting to potentially join the 2020 presidential ticket alongside Biden, telling Fox News in 2020 that her views on Cuba "developed over time" and that she understood that Castro's government, which spanned nearly 50 years, "was a brutal regime." Mayor Bass Blames Trump's Ice Raids For Starting Riots While Claiming 'Things In La Are Calm' "I absolutely would have not put that statement out," she added while appearing on Fox News that year. Bass again raised political eyebrows in 2020 for her praise of communists after Politico resurrected her 2017 remarks eulogizing one of the top members of the Communist Party USA in 2017, including calling him a "friend and mentor" in remarks inserted in congressional record. "I would like to honor the life and memory of my friend and mentor, Oneil Marion Cannon, who passed away on January 20, days before his 100th birthday," Bass wrote of Oneil Cannon. The comments did not mention that Cannon was a top leader of the Communist Party USA, identifying him instead as being "deeply involved in politics" and that he belonged to the Independent Progressive Party. "I would like to salute Oneil Cannon for his longstanding commitment to serving and uplifting others, and for a century of fighting to make the world a better place," she added. An obituary published in the communist-founded newspaper, People's World, reported that Cannon was a "longtime communist" who served as the Communist Party USA's "education director in the Southern California District, and a member of the Party's Southern California and National Central Committees." Rep. Karen Bass Called Top Member Of Communist Party Usa A 'Friend And Mentor' In Eulogy: Report Bass' team argued in response to criticisms over the praise of the communist leader that the former House lawmaker never shared Cannon's political ideology, similar to how she was friends with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy without the pair holding the same political views. "Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat. The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had at one time in his life," a spokesperson told Politico at the time. Bass's office told Fox Digital on Thursday, when asked about the list of previous scandals and criticisms, that the mayor is focused on "leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents." "While the Administration continues to create chaos and provoke the people of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is focused on leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents. Mayor Bass has made change in Los Angeles and under her leadership, crime is down, she has reduced homelessness for the first time in years and is leading a natural disaster recovery effort that is on pace to be the fastest in state history," the mayor's office said. Bass' office faced scrutiny late last year after the FBI raided the home of her deputy mayor of public safety, Brian Williams, in December for making a bomb threat to Los Angeles City Hall. Williams, who no longer works in the mayor's office, agreed to plead guilty in May to a felony charge of "information with threats regarding fire and explosives," which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The former deputy mayor's plea agreement outlined that on Oct. 3 of last year, Williams was in a virtual meeting with colleagues when he used a Google Voice application on his personal cell phone to call his work phone, the DOJ reported in a press release last month. The city official then left the virtual meeting and called the Los Angeles Police Department's chief of staff to report he had received a call from a man threatening to bomb city hall. Karen Bass's Former Deputy Mayor Of Public Safety Admits Bomb Threat Hoax Targeting Los Angeles City Hall Williams then texted Bass and other city officials that he had received a bomb threat, the DOJ said. "Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that 'he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda.' I immediately contacted the chief of staff of LAPD, they are going to send a number of officers over to do a search of the building and to determine if anyone else received a threat," the message read, Fox News Digital previously reported. The DOJ noted in its press release that "Williams received no such call and had made the bomb threat himself. At no time did Williams intend to carry out the threat." "Like many, we were shocked when these allegations were first made, and we are saddened by this conclusion," a spokesperson for Bass said in May of Williams admitting to the bomb threat. Bass faced backlash during her mayoral campaign in 2022, when her opponent, real estate magnate Rick Caruso, launched an ad campaign showing Bass praising the Church of Scientology during a 2010 speech at the opening of the group's headquarters in Los Angeles. Scientology is frequently described by former members as a "cult," a label the church rejects. "The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference," Bass said during the 2010 speech. "Because your creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere." Amid backlash, Bass distanced herself from the group, citing how first-hand accounts have "exposed this group." Leah Remini Calls Out Karen Bass For Past Praise Of Scientology: Victims 'Deserve Better From You' "Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own, and spoke briefly about things I think most of us agree with, and on those things — respect for different views, equality, and fighting oppression — my views have not changed," Bass wrote in the statement posted to social media in 2022. "Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group." Bass faced intense criticism earlier this year after wildfires erupted in Los Angeles while she was abroad in Africa—blazes that quickly escalated into widespread devastation across the region. Bass traveled to Ghana for the swearing-in ceremony of the nation's president in January at a time when Southern California was at high risk of fires, Fox Digital previously reported. The Palisades Fires began on Jan. 7, with Bass not returning to California until the following day. A reporter confronted Bass about her overseas trip as she exited the plane upon her return to Los Angeles, but she refused to answer his questions. "Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? And do you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?" Sky News reporter David Blevins asked as Bass was seen waiting to exit the plane. "Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?" he added, but Bass did not respond in a video that subsequently went viral. Photos later emerged showing Bass at a cocktail party in Ghana just moments before evacuation orders were issued over the raging fires, Fox Digital previously reported. La Mayor Bass Points Fingers When Grilled On Africa Trip Amid Botched Wildfire Response "The presidential delegation was hosted by the United States ambassador to Ghana on the way to the plane," Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in response to the photos at the time. "For the majority of the time, the mayor was in a different room on calls from LA." Bass said in February during an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles that she "felt absolutely terrible not being here for my city." "Would I say it was a mistake, absolutely. The idea that I was not present was very painful," she added. The woes did not end there, however, as Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told local media during the raging fires that she believed the City of Los Angeles and Bass, specifically, failed residents. The fire chief added that the department had long been plagued by staffing issues and lack of resources, which she had previously detailed in a series of memos to the city. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Sacks Fire Chief Who Said City Failed Residents In Wildfires "Since day one, we've identified huge gaps in regard to our service delivery and our ability of our firefighters' boots on the ground to do their jobs since day one," Crowley said at the time. "This is my third budget as we're going into 2025-2026, and what I can tell you is we are still understaffed, we're still under-resourced and we're still underfunded." "Any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service," she said. "That is a ground truth in regard to our ability. If there's a budget cut, we had to pull from somewhere else. What does that mean? That doesn't get done or that there are delays." Bass fired Crowley in February, citing the former fire chief's handling of wildfires. "We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch," Bass article source: Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage
