NEW ORLEANS, LA — A foreign national from India has been sentenced to prison for possessing materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Pankaj Singh Bohra, 35, received an 18-month prison sentence from United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on April 1, 2025. Following his imprisonment, Bohra will serve five years of supervised release, must register as a sex offender, and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

Court documents reveal that Bohra, formerly employed by Carnival Cruise Lines, was arrested in July 2024 at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans. Special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations discovered him in possession of child pornography, leading to charges under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).

The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, handled the prosecution with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the sentencing.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, the public can visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.