Lake Charles, Louisiana – In September 2023, law enforcement officers from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During this time, they were contacted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the posting of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a social media application.
After conducting further investigation, it was discovered that there were around 93 CSAM videos found on an account linked to Phillip W. August, Jr., a 22-year-old resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana. On January 30, Judge Tony Fazzio issued a warrant for August’s arrest. On February 1, he was located at his home and when detectives interviewed him, he admitted to having the CSAM. Subsequently, he was apprehended and taken to the Calcasieu Correctional Center where he was charged with 90 counts of possessing child pornography. His bail has been set at $450,000.
Detective Eric Perry from CPSO’s Special Victims Unit is heading the investigation for this case.
An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.