A 42-year-old New Orleans man with a prior federal conviction pleaded guilty on May 19 to possessing child sexual abuse materials, the latest turn in a case that has already put him behind bars once. Authorities say state and federal agents found images of prepubescent children during a search of his home on Oct. 20, 2025, arrested him at the scene, and he has remained in federal custody since then. He faces a lengthy federal prison term under the statutes cited by prosecutors.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, David Morel pled guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (a)(2). The plea exposes him to a mandatory minimum of 10 years, a maximum of 20 years, and supervised release of not less than five years and up to life. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 25, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
Investigation and arrest
State law enforcement and federal agents executed a search warrant at Morel’s home on Oct. 20, 2025, where they say they found electronic devices containing media that depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. The arrest was listed among the results of "Operation Boo Dat," a multi-agency New Orleans task force effort, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The Marshals summary notes Morel was a registered Tier-2 sex offender and had been splitting time between Alabama and a west-bank New Orleans address when agents located him.
Morel is already familiar to federal prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says he was convicted in federal court in 2016 for possessing materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. In the current matter, prosecutors say state charges were adopted for federal prosecution after the October search produced new evidence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba is handling the case under the Project Safe Childhood initiative. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana
What the law says
Federal law criminalizes possession and receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and allows enhanced penalties when a defendant has qualifying prior convictions. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2252(b)(2), a prior state or federal conviction for certain sexual offenses can trigger a ten-year mandatory minimum and raise the statutory maximum. The statute also permits lengthy terms of supervised release following any prison sentence. Legal Information Institute
Enforcement in New Orleans
Federal and state officials have recently stepped up coordination on child-exploitation investigations in the New Orleans area, leaning on digital forensics and task force operations to locate suspects and evidence. Officials say the October 2025 sweeps and related arrests were part of a broader push that produced dozens of arrests and recoveries across the region. Local reporting and a task force summary describe a pattern of coordinated investigations and prosecutions. 38 predators and felons nabbed
Sentencing on Aug. 25, 2026, will determine Morel’s punishment, including whether the mandatory minimum applies in light of his criminal history. Prosecutors have framed the case as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt people who collect, trade, or store child sexual abuse materials in the region.
