A 20-year-old Franklin man already sitting in jail on firearm theft charges is now accused of soliciting a minor online, according to authorities. Hollister Matthew Hebert was arrested Friday on charges of computer-aided solicitation of a minor, indecent behavior with juveniles, and possession of child sexual abuse material, per the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office.
The new charges emerged out of an unrelated case, according to WBRZ, which reported that the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office had been investigating Hebert in connection with a firearms theft case in October. As detectives dug through that investigation, KLFY reports they discovered digital images and communications between Hebert and a juvenile.
Hebert was already being held at the St. Mary Parish jail on $295,000 bond on two counts of burglary and one count of theft of a firearm, per the same outlet's report. Bail had not been set on the newly filed child sex crime charges at the time of that report, officials said. Hebert remains incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, according to WBRZ.
How the Firearms Case Led Detectives to New Evidence
The sequence described by investigators shows how a routine theft investigation unraveled into something far more serious. Detectives working the firearms theft case reportedly stumbled onto the digital material and messages involving a juvenile, prompting the additional charges against Hebert. The sheriff's office has not detailed the juvenile's age or identity, and the contents of those communications have not been made public.
A separate report from KQKI News described a Franklin man matching Hebert's name and age arrested October 12 on two counts of illegal possession of stolen firearms and two misdemeanor counts of theft under $1,000. It is not clear from the available reporting whether that October arrest and the firearm theft case referenced in the newer charges describe the same arrest event.
What Louisiana Law Says About the Charges
Under the state statute covering computer-aided solicitation of a minor, the law describes a person 17 or older who knowingly contacts or communicates electronically with someone under 17, subject to specific age-gap or reasonable-belief conditions, with intent to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce that person into sexual conduct or a crime of violence, according to the Louisiana Legislature. That description reflects the statute's language and does not constitute a determination that Hebert's alleged conduct meets its elements.
The state's child sexual abuse material statute separately defines “produce” to include photographing, videotaping, filming, causing material to be digitally generated, or otherwise reproducing it, as well as soliciting, promoting, or coercing a child for that purpose, per the Louisiana Legislature's published law.
KLFY reported that the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not released additional details about the case, and no response from Hebert or an attorney representing him has been made public.
