Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges After Investigation Reveals Use of Social Media to Target Minors

By Calcasieu Staff
Published May 03, 2024

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Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that 38-year-old Dominick Anthony Valotta, also known as joncimpo#8015, from New Orleans, Louisiana pleaded guilty to one of the four charges he is facing in federal court. The charge is related to the sexual exploitation of children, as outlined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).

According to court records, law enforcement carried out lawful search warrants in response to a complaint from a minor in Rhode Island. These warrants targeted social media accounts, electronic devices, and a home in Harahan, Louisiana belonging to Valotta, covering dates from January 2023. 

The investigation revealed that Valotta had met at least three underage girls on social media apps in 2022 and early 2023. Valotta then created a fake identity to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the minors, leading to attempts to arrange in-person sexual meetings, soliciting explicit photos and videos, and offering to share explicit images of himself. The victims were minors from North Carolina and Ohio, one born in 2007, and the other two in 2008.

Valotta could be sentenced to a minimum of fifteen years and a maximum of thirty years in prison. He also faces a minimum of five years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Additionally, he may have to register as a sex offender. Sentencing by Judge Zainey is set for August 6, 2024.

This case was filed as a component of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address the increasing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood is overseen by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and it combines federal, state, and local resources to more effectively find, capture, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, as well as to identify and rescue victims. 

To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s efforts in investigating this issue were commended by U.S. Attorney Evans. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, who heads the Public Integrity Unit.