A 28-year-old man from Mumbai, Ashish Kapoor, has been handed a 121-month federal prison sentence in New Orleans after admitting he transported and possessed child sexual-abuse material. U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry imposed the sentence on July 8, 2026, and tacked on five years of supervised release plus financial penalties: $3,000 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. Prosecutors say agents seized more than 600 images and videos from Kapoor’s devices, including material involving infants and other graphic content.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, Kapoor, who also used the name “Romy Kapoor,” admitted in a recorded interview that he viewed and received child sexual-abuse material on his phone via WhatsApp. The release states he flew from Bombay (Mumbai) to New Orleans on Feb. 21, 2024, carrying a cell phone loaded with explicit files. On April 11, 2024, he downloaded a video from an IP address tied to his New Orleans residence. Homeland Security Investigations and New Orleans police arrested him there on Dec. 20, 2024. Those details, along with the sentence, are outlined in court filings and the federal press release.
News of the case did not stay in Louisiana. Indian outlets quickly picked up the Justice Department announcement for readers back home. The Sunday Guardian ran the story, while ThePrint summarized the DOJ account for Indian readers, citing court records that describe some seized files as involving infants and sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Charges, sentence and next steps
Kapoor pleaded guilty to federal charges of transporting and possessing child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, statutes that apply to material moved in interstate and foreign commerce. As detailed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office release, Judge Guidry sentenced him to 121 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, ordered the $200 mandatory special assessment and $3,000 in restitution, and directed that Kapoor register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) after he is released. The case was handled by the USAO’s Public Integrity Unit and designated as part of Project Safe Childhood prosecutions.
Investigation and local angle
The investigation brought together federal and local agencies. The Justice Department notes that Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New Orleans Police Department all played roles in the case. Prosecutors pursued it under Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative that coordinates local, state and federal efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation, as outlined by the Office of Justice Programs. The DOJ release does not name any victims.
Hoodline coverage
Hoodline previously covered the federal indictment and early court filings in 2025 and is now updating that reporting to reflect the sentence. You can revisit our earlier indictment story for background on how the case first entered the federal system.
