Forrest County Jail Guard Nabbed in Northshore Child Exploitation Bust

A Forrest County correctional officer headed into work and instead ended up in handcuffs on Wednesday in Covington, where the Covington Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children unit arrested him on felony child-exploitation allegations, authorities say. Investigators took the man into custody as he was clocking in for his shift, then initially held him in a Mississippi jail before he was extradited to Louisiana. Police say the investigation is still active and that charging documents have not yet been publicly posted.

Arrest and charges

According to the Covington Police Department, the suspect is 28-year-old Ryan Donivan Lich of Hattiesburg. The department's post says he was arrested on felony counts that include indecent behavior with a juvenile (L.R.S. 14:81), computer-aided solicitation of a minor (L.R.S. 14:81.3) and indecent behavior with a juvenile/child grooming (L.R.S. 14:81(a)(3)). Those remain allegations at this stage, and authorities have not yet released formal charging paperwork in St. Tammany Parish.

Multi-agency ICAC work on the Northshore

Covington's Criminal Investigations Division has been running coordinated ICAC operations that stretch across parish lines and into Mississippi, and those broader efforts have led to multiple recent arrests. Earlier operations involved the 22nd Judicial District Attorney's Special Victims Unit and the Louisiana Attorney General's office. Investigators say these stings typically rely on undercover online profiles to identify suspects, then move fast when an in-person meeting is arranged.

Employment and extradition

Per the Covington post, Forrest County Sheriff Charlie Sims confirmed that Lich had been employed by the Forrest County Sheriff's Office and that he was terminated at the time of his arrest. The post notes that Lich was first held at the Lamar County jail in Mississippi, then extradited to Louisiana to face the listed counts. Covington police publicly thanked the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, the 22nd Judicial District Special Victims Unit task force, the Lamar County Sheriff's Office and other partners for their help in the case.

What comes next

The listed charges carry serious potential penalties if they are eventually proven, but defendants are presumed innocent until convicted and prosecutors must still formally file charges in court. Investigators usually continue digital forensics and evidence review before prosecutors make decisions on indictments or set arraignment dates, a process that can take some time. Anyone with information tied to the case is asked to contact local law enforcement investigatory units.