BATON ROUGE, LA - Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced today that a federal jury unanimously convicted CHRISTOPHER G. WAGUESPACK, 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles. The defendant had been charged in a Superseding Indictment with distribution of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2), and possession of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B). A sentencing date has not yet been set, but WAGUESPACK faces a significant term of imprisonment, including a mandatory term of imprisonment of at least 5 years, as a result of his convictions.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that WAGUESPACK used his computer to search for, download, store, categorize, and share images of children, under twelve years old, engaged in explicit sexual activity. WAGUESPACK then took actions to conceal his misconduct and evade detection by law enforcement by employing anti-forensic software, wiping software, and encryption on his computer.
Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson stated, “Justice was done today. The evidence at trial established the defendant as a sophisticated child pornographer with a sexual interest in children. His conviction contributes to the safety and security of children not only in our community, but around the world. The market for child pornography is perpetuated by those, like this defendant, who possess and distribute such despicable material. I greatly commend the excellent work of the prosecutors and agents involved in this important matter, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit."
Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the New Orleans office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated, “Cases like this one reinforce our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners. This is another example of the success of Operation Broken Heart and shows how we can continue to remove these threats to our children when we work together."
This matter was a joint investigation between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office - Cyber Crime Unit, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie A. Flowers, Jr. and Cam Le.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
