BATON ROUGE — Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced Friday that four men have been arrested for crimes against children following joint law enforcement investigations involving the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit.
The men were all arrested in separate investigations are:
32-year-old Chad Ruiz of Slidell was arrested on one count of computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. The arrest was a result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and the Slidell Police Department. If convicted, Ruiz faces up to 10 years in prison for computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile and up to seven years in prison for indecent behavior with a juvenile.
29-year-old John Wellman Slidell was arrested on 99 counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles and one count of possession of pornography involving juveniles under the age of 13. The arrest followed a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Slidell Police Department.
51-year-old Billy Ray Parker of Wisner was arrested for distribution of pornography involving juveniles following a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit, Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Wisner Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office.
40-year-old Anthony Kurtz of Livingston was arrested on 500 counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles and 50 counts of distribution of pornography involving juveniles. The arrest followed a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Possession or distribution of pornography involving juveniles is punishable by up to 20 years in prison for each count.
“My Cyber Crime Unit partners with law enforcement agencies from across Louisiana to identify and apprehend criminals who use the Internet to prey upon our most vulnerable citizens,” Attorney General Caldwell said. “Over the last year, we’ve made more than 100 arrests in our efforts to make Louisiana a safer and better place for our children and families.”