A New Orleans man has been given a decade-long federal prison sentence following his guilty plea on charges related to the possession and distribution of child pornography. Stephen Badon, 35, will also face 25 years of supervised release after his prison term, as decided by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on May 13, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Badon's sentencing comes as the culmination of an investigation by the FBI into online Child Sexual Abuse Material. On August 2, 2023, agents carried out a search warrant at Badon's home, where they found and seized four electronic devices harboring over 88,000 files of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Following the find, Badon was arrested. In compliance with the court's decision, Badon has been ordered to pay $86,500 in restitution to various victims, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the sentencing, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case against Badon was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative started in May 2006 aiming to address the increasing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson has praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their efforts to crack down on such crimes through the nationwide initiative. By collaborating with various federal, state, and local entities, Project Safe Childhood endeavors to pinpoint and bring to justice those who take advantage of the Internet to exploit children and to assist in the rescue of victims, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
For those seeking more information on the initiative, Project Safe Childhood's objectives and resources are outlined on the U.S. Attorney's Office official website. This particular case against Badon was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit, who has worked closely with federal agencies to secure this conviction.
