A Metairie man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars after pleading guilty to federal charges involving sexual exploitation of minors and unlawful firearm possession, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Robert Anthony Marsh Jr., a 60-year-old resident, faced a federal grand jury indictment last year and admitted guilt for his possession of over 21 videos depicting minors in sexual situations, as well as owning a firearm despite his status as a convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Marsh's troubles began afresh on December 19, 2024, when his home was subject to a law enforcement search led by state officials and agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The search was conducted while Marsh was under supervised release for a prior 2014 conviction on state charges of pornography involving juveniles. That same day, he was arrested after police discovered a Model 922 H&R Arms Co. firearm and child pornography in his possession, leading to him swiftly being transferred to federal custody, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In a federal court proceeding on August 26, 2025, Marsh pled guilty, conceding his knowing possession of the illicit materials and the firearm. U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion later sentenced Marsh on Tuesday as documented in the U.S. Attorney's Office press release. The sentence included ten years of imprisonment, to be followed by an equal term of supervised release, official sex offender registration, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee totaling $200.
The case against Marsh was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national program aimed at stopping child sexual exploitation and abuse. Started by the Department of Justice in 2006, the initiative brings together law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute online crimes against children and help rescue victims.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle credited Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, the Jefferson Parish Police Department, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections for their work on the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, who also serves as Project Safe Childhood coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
