A former St. James Parish Sheriff's Office deputy has been found guilty of internet crimes against children, with the case centered on allegations that he paid teenagers through Cash App in exchange for explicit photographs and videos. Tykeim Simoneaux, now 24 and from Gramercy, is scheduled for sentencing in February 2027 and could face decades in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Cash App Tip Led Investigators to Simoneaux
According to a report from WGNO, Louisiana Bureau of Investigations agents received a tip in February identifying transactions with juveniles made through Cash App, and investigators identified Simoneaux as the person orchestrating those payments. Agents said they found that Simoneaux had engaged in explicit contact with multiple juveniles between the ages of 13 and 16, sending them money through Cash App in exchange for explicit photographs and videos, per the DA's Office account relayed by WGNO.
That February tip tracks with earlier reporting on the case. L'Observateur reported that the sheriff's office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, forwarded through the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, describing alleged inappropriate messages, images and videos connected to a child-exploitation report. The outlet reported Simoneaux was fired and arrested that February day, then booked into the St. James Parish jail on charges including indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, malfeasance in office with evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Deputy Fired, Then Re-Arrested on Additional Counts
L'Observateur reported that the sheriff's office received information about the allegations at 11:26 a.m. and Simoneaux was terminated at 7:25 p.m. Separately, WDSU reported that Simoneaux, identified at the time as 23, began his employment with the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office on November 3, 2025, meaning he had been on the job only a few months before his firing.
WDSU also reported that Simoneaux was rearrested on March 17 on additional charges, including 32 counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of attempted human trafficking. The outlet reported that authorities said Simoneaux was soliciting juveniles for images and videos of themselves committing a lewd and lascivious or sex act in exchange for money. The Louisiana Attorney General's Office described the allegations similarly, saying investigators believed Simoneaux solicited a juvenile to produce child sexual abuse material in exchange for monetary compensation and attempted to arrange in-person sexual conduct. The AG's Office said Simoneaux's total bond across all charges reached $1,245,000.
Guilty Pleas Cover Multiple Charges
Per the DA's Office account reported by WGNO, Simoneaux pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent behavior with juveniles, two counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor, malfeasance in office, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence, and 32 counts of production of child sexual abuse material. Louisiana's computer-aided solicitation statute, according to the Louisiana State Legislature, applies when a person at least 17 years old knowingly uses electronic textual communication to contact someone under 17 with the intent to persuade, induce, entice or coerce that person into sexual conduct or a crime of violence. The state's child sexual abuse material statute, per the Louisiana State Legislature, makes it unlawful to produce, promote, advertise, distribute, possess or possess with intent to distribute such material.
Accounts of which agencies led the investigation differ. The Louisiana Attorney General's Office described the arrest as resulting from a joint investigation, while L'Observateur reported the probe involved the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office.
Simoneaux is scheduled for sentencing on February 22, 2027, and faces the possibility of decades in prison, according to the DA's Office. The case remains one of several that have tested how a small-parish sheriff's office responds when a newly hired deputy is accused of exploiting juveniles.
