Louisiana Man in Possession of 1,700 Child Pornography Videos and Other Material Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

Louisiana – On July 21, 2022, United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Jason L. Istre, age 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. The Court further sentenced Istre to serve 5 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made during his plea, Istre knowingly received child pornographic files via the internet on or about October 1, 2021. He also used sophisticated computer programs to download and store child pornographic images and videos. Istre sought videos and images of minors, knowing they were under the age of 18, with the intent of receiving child pornography. Istre also had 1,700 total videos and approximately 45 images of child pornography on his laptop, which he could access.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood, led by US Attorneys’ Offices and CEOs, marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. Follow this link for more information on Project Safe Childhood.