Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of Children, Faces up to 20 Years

Louisiana – On July 5, 2022, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Dominic Romano, age 21, a resident of Luling, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2022 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ‘ 2252(a)(4)(B).

According to court documents, the FBI received a tip from another law enforcement agency that an individual, later identified as Romano, accessed an online bulletin board with an explicit focus on the advertisement, distribution, and facilitation of sharing child abuse material. The bulletin board was divided into sections and forums based on the victims’ ages and the nature of the violence inflicted on them.

On May 7, 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant at Romano’s home and seized electronic devices. Romano’s seized devices contained at least 2589 images and 62 videos depicting child sexual exploitation, including children under the age of three. A digital presentation purported to be an instruction manual on how to successfully victimize “very young girls” without being caught was among Romano’s collection.

Romano faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. Romano could also face a lifetime of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and the requirement to register as a sex offender. The sentencing hearing before Judge Ashe is set for September 29, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

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 the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s work in investigating this case. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.