Louisiana Sex Offender Sentenced to Ten Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on August 11, 2022, that Jacob Wiebelt (“Wiebelt”), age 39, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, was sentenced for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Children in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (B)(2).

According to court filings, the case against Wiebelt arose from a tip to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”) that a user had posted child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) to the Discord messenger service. The lead specifically stated that the individual uploaded sexually graphic videos of prepubescent children. On November 1, 2021, special officers from Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”) executed a federal search warrant at Wiebelt’s Ponchatoula home.

Agents informed Wiebelt of his Miranda rights, and after waiving them, he admitted to having, sharing, and uploading CSAM. Wiebelt admitted to creating a Discord account and stating that other Discord users would distribute CSAM on the website and he would store the CSAM to his cellphone. Wiebelt would then share the CSAM he had saved on his phone with other Discord members.

Wiebelt was sentenced by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 121 months (10 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, ongoing sex offender registration, and payment of $100.00 special assessment charge.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide campaign launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to tackle the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood, led by US Attorney’s 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.

The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations for their help with this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.