Baton Rouge man pleads guilty to human trafficking, child porn charges

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Baton Rouge man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including human trafficking and possession of child pornography, after two 16-year-olds were found in his car following a hit-and-run crash.

According to court records, Chad Armstead, 31, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty for the human trafficking charge.

Armstead was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with five years suspended, followed by three years of supervised probation. He must register as a sex offender for 25 years and pay $65 per month for supervision.

Another charge, indecent behavior with a juvenile, was dismissed by the state, and he was released from his bond obligation on that charge.

Court records revealed he also pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 20 years, with 15 years suspended. He also received three years of supervised probation, must register as a sex offender for 25 years, and pay the monthly supervision fee.

Another pornography charge was also dismissed.

Armstead was informed of his right to appeal the conviction or sentence within 30 days, and his right to post-conviction relief within two years.

Teens ran away from DCFS, found after crashing Armstead’s car

In 2023, two teenage victims ran away from the Louisiana Department of Childen and Family Services (DCFS) and were staying with Armstead. On Feb. 27, the victims reportedly took Armstead’s vehicle when he stepped out and got into a crash hours later.

After the hit-and-run, they were followed by the other driver involved in the crash to Cortana Place, where Baton Rouge police officers responded. The victims told officers they were working for Armstead.

One victim said she met Armstead through social media two months before, after her friend pretended to be her online. She said Armstead took photos of her and posted them on sex advertisement websites, according to arrest documents. She told investigators she was forced to have sex with multiple men.

The affidavit said that Armstead forced both underage victims to take pictures in the shower. They also traveled to various hotels in Baton Rouge to have sex with men.

A DCFS caseworker gave investigators Instagram messages between the two victims and Armstead, documents said. Investigators reportedly found nude images of the victims uploaded to a website.

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