By rssfeeds-admin Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
HARVEY, La. (WGNO) — As a result of an investigation carried out by the Department of Justice, a Harvey man has been indicted on child sex abuse charges.
On Wednesday, May 7, the DOJ announced the results of Operation Restore Justice which is a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child predators.
The nationwide crackdown has resulted in the rescue of 115 children and arrest of 205 alleged child sex abuse offenders.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims
— and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys
on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The efforts were carried out by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
In a local arrest, 19-year-old Lance Rotolo Jr. from Harvey, was indicted on May 2 on five counts including:
- Two counts of sexual exploitation of children
- Distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
- Receiving CSAM
- Transmitting extortionate interstate communications
FBI agents reported that on Dec. 19, 2024 Rotolo allegedly produced and attempted to produce a visual depiction of a 13-year-old female engaging in “sexually explicit conduct.”
Additionally they add that around Jan. 12 and Feb. 17, Rotolo produced and attempted to produce a visual prediction of a 16-year-old girl “engaging in sexually explicit.”
Agents further reported that Rotolo allegedly distributed visual depictions of minors, victims as young as 1 years old, “engaging in sexually explicit conduct” on Nov. 16, 2024 and Feb. 28.
Further investigation revealed, Rotolo sent the 16-year-old “threatening messages” stating he would send the content to friends and family if they didn’t continue to send the “visual depictions.
If found guilty, Rotolo faces a 15 to 30 year sentence for counts one and two, a five to 20 year sentence for counts three and four and a two year sentence for count five.
Additionally he faces five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and payment of a $100 special assessment fee for each count.
He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
Others arrested during the operation, including a Minneapolis state trooper and Army Reservist, are alleged to have committed crimes including:
- Production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material
- Online enticement
- Transportation of minors
- Child sex trafficking
“Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims and hold predators accountable,” said Jonathan Tapp, Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans.
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