Baton Rouge man pleads guilty to child porn charge

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Baton Rouge man who was previously convicted pleaded guilty to possession of child porn after a jury trial started.

Thomas Mills V, 58, was arrested in October 2018 after Zachary police officers were called to investigate a suspicious car on Highway 19. According to the Department of Justice, Mills told officers he was parked behind buildings to use the internet to send emails.

Officers learned he was a registered sex offender after he showed his driver’s license, leading them to believe he could be violating the law due to Mills saying he lived in Zachary while he registered as a sex offender in Baton Rouge.

A criminal background check showed Mills was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in 2012, leading officers to ask if he was on probation at the time. Officials said his probation officer was contacted and found Mills had violated his supervised release conditions because a computer and a USB were located in his car.

Nineteen electronic devices were seized from the car. The DOJ said a forensic analysis led to the discovery of 1,325 photos and six videos of child exploitation.

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