Ashish Kapoor, also known as Romy Kapoor, a 28-year-old national of India, pled guilty on March 18 to transportation and possession of child pornography in violation of federal law, according to a March 27 announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to combat the exploitation and abuse of children online. Officials say that crimes involving child sexual abuse material remain a significant concern for law enforcement agencies.
According to court documents, Kapoor traveled from Bombay, India to New Orleans on February 21, 2024 with a cell phone containing digital videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On April 11, 2024, he downloaded another video showing the sexual abuse of a child from his residence's Internet Protocol address in New Orleans. He was arrested on December 20, 2024 by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and officers with the New Orleans Police Department. In a recorded statement following his arrest, Kapoor confessed that he had seen and received child pornography using WhatsApp on his phone.
Kapoor admitted during proceedings that he possessed more than six hundred images depicting the sexual abuse of minors. He further acknowledged that some materials included sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
For transportation of child pornography (Count One), Kapoor faces up to twenty years in prison; for possession (Count Two), he faces five to twenty years. Each count carries possible fines up to $250,000, supervised release for up to life, mandatory registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and special assessment fees. United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry has scheduled sentencing for June 17.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at identifying offenders who exploit children via the internet.
