Metairie Man Guilty of Federal Child Pornography Charges

NEW ORLEANS, LA - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CARSON RIESS ("RIESS"), age 40, of Metairie, Louisiana, pled guilty on October 1, 2024 to Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2025. At sentencing, RIESS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross grain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. In addition, RIESS faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court documents, the case against RIESS stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On May 20, 2024, HSI special agents, along with members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, executed two federal search warrants at RIESS's home. HSI's investigation revealed RIESS received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.