Sex Offender Sentenced to 116 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Michael Becnel, age 56, of Baton Rouge, to 116 months in federal prison following his conviction for possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The Court further sentenced Becnel to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to forfeit his interest in property used to commit the offense.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on June 6, 2023, Becnel knowingly possessed more than three obscene visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He had previously downloaded the visual depictions to his cellphone from a website, which cellphone was found in his possession when law enforcement agents were executing a search warrant of his residence.

At the time Becnel was found in possession of the unlawful visual depictions in June 2023, he was on federal supervised release following a previous federal conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. In April 2024, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson revoked his term of supervision and sentenced him to serve 14 months consecutively to the term of imprisonment ordered today.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace.