LAFAYETTE – On September 15, 2026, a federal criminal complaint was filed charging Josue Perez, 18, who had resided in Lafayette, with Possession of Child Pornography. Perez, a Panamanian national and illegal alien, is currently in federal custody. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to court documents, the investigation began on November 25, 2025, when the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) Cyber Crime Unit initiated an investigation based on a cybertip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The cybertip was regarding the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials on an electronic communications platform. Subsequent police investigative work led to a search warrant at a residence occupied by Perez. A forensic analysis of these devices confirmed they contained child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos allegedly depict very young children and even infants. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the LBI Cyber Crime Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and E. Ashley Hammons, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon and Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.

This case was prosecuted 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 the U.S. Attorneys' 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. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 26-mj-231.###CONTACT:Public Affairs: [email protected] States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdlaX: @USAO_WDLAFacebook: USAO_WDLA(337) 262-6704