CHARLES F. HALL (“HALL"), age 60, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted today for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
The case against HALL began on April 12, 2018, when HALL entered the Social Security Administration’s (“SSA") offices located on the fifth floor of 400 Poydras Street, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The SSA offices are leased by the General Services Administration (“GSA") and are within the jurisdiction of the Federal Protective Service (“FPS"), a department of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The SSA office employs an administrative security screening process for all visitors whereby Paragon Systems Incorporated Protective Security Officers (“PSO") conduct a search for weapons and explosives. As part of this screening process, HALL was instructed to take all metal items out of his pockets prior to passing through the magnetometer. When HALL produced a cellular phone from his pocket, the PSOs asked HALL to silence his cellular phone while he was in the office. When HALL accessed his cellular phone to silence it, the screen lit up and displayed an image depicting the sexual victimization of a prepubescent child. HALL was taken into custody by officers with the FPS, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, HALL faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years imprisonment followed by up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000.00 fine. In addition, HALL will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources."
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, Paragon Systems Incorporated Protective Security Officers, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Fraud Section Chief, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
