Joint Investigations in Louisiana Lead to Two Arrests for Child Exploitation

Published February 7, 2022

Louisiana State Troopers assigned to the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit brought two separate criminal cases to a close, both of which resulted in child exploitation arrests.

Louisiana – On January 7, 2022, FBI agents from the Tampa Bay Field Office apprehended a Lake County, FL man on an active warrant issued by the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit – Baton Rouge Field Office. Jordan Knight, 21, of Tavares, FL, was arrested on charges of indecent behavior with a minor, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, attempted pornography involving a minor, and carnal knowledge of a minor.

Troopers from the Louisiana State Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit extradited Knight from Florida to Livingston Parish on February 1, 2022. 

Knight was booked into the Livingston Parish Jail for violating LRS 14:81 Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile, LRS 14:81.3 Computer Aided Solicitation of a Minor, LRS 14:81.1 Attempted Pornography Involving Juveniles(Production), and LRS 14:80 Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile. This remains an active investigation.

In a separate case, on February 2, 2022, investigators from the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit – Baton Rouge Field Office, in collaboration with the FBI and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, arrested a St. James Parish man after learning of his involvement in child exploitation on a social media app. Jacques Folse, 35, of Vacherie, Louisiana, was arrested on charges of indecent behavior with a minor and computer-aided solicitation of a minor.

The initial investigation began on January 5, 2022, when investigators launched an undercover child exploitation investigation. Folse was identified during the investigation as having an online conversation with an undercover FBI Agent posing as a guardian for an 11-year-old female. Folse solicited and agreed to meet the juvenile for sex again.

Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Folse in East Baton Rouge Parish on January 27, 2022. Folse was arrested after a traffic stop by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office on February 2, 2022. Folse was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail for LRS 14:81 Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile and LRS 14:81.3 Computer Aided Solicitation of a Minor. This is still an ongoing investigation.

The LSP Special Victims Unit works to rescue and bring justice to victims of crimes involving child exploitation and human trafficking for sex or labor. The public can help identify suspects accused of these crimes by reporting criminal or suspicious activity. The Louisiana State Police online reporting system is accessible to the public via an anonymous reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. The form can be found by visiting http://la-safe.org/ and clicking on the “Suspicious Activity” link.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.