Gonzales, Louisiana – A 40-year-old Gonzales, Louisiana woman has pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material, after coordinating with a self-described “pedophile” photographer to take inappropriate images of a minor victim.
Hannah Kinchen admitted to arranging photoshoots ostensibly for a child’s modeling career, during which she allowed and assisted the photographer in posing the minor in revealing attire, including thongs and G-strings. The images, which qualified as child pornography, were transmitted through an internet file-sharing website, and some were later sold commercially.
The guilty plea, announced by Justice Department officials, was for one count of receipt of child pornography. Kinchen now faces sentencing on July 15, with potential prison time ranging from a mandatory minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New Orleans Division – Baton Rouge Resident Agency. Prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig, with assistance from CEOS Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children online and to identify and rescue victims.
For additional information about Project Safe Childhood and its mission to protect children from exploitation, visit www.justice.gov/psc.