Eunice and Opelousas Men Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse Material

(KPEL News) - The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Eunice man for having child sexual abuse material and animal sexual abuse material, according to a release from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's Office.

The investigation, which involved multiple agencies in Louisiana, began after officials got a tip about their suspect from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Charges Filed Against the Eunice Man Involving Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Authorities say they arrested 59-year-old Jed M.Courville on the following:

• 275 counts of Child Sexual Abuse Material involving a person under the age of 13. It's Louisiana Statute 14:81.1 E(5)(a)
• 115 counts of Sexual Abuse of an Animal Material. It's Louisiana Statute 14:89.3.

Louisiana Laws on Child Sexual Abuse Material

Child Sexual Abuse Material is part of Louisiana Statute 14:81.1, and the following are the consequences if convicted:

 E.(1)(a) Whoever intentionally possesses child sexual abuse materials shall be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than five years or more than twenty years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

            (b) On a second or subsequent conviction for the intentional possession of child sexual abuse materials, the offender shall be fined not more than seventy-five thousand dollars and imprisoned at hard labor for not less than ten years nor more than forty years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

            (2)(a) Whoever distributes or possesses with the intent to distribute child sexual abuse materials shall be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than five years or more than twenty years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

            (b) On a second or subsequent conviction for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute child sexual abuse materials, the offender shall be fined not more than seventy-five thousand dollars and imprisoned at hard labor for not less than ten years nor more than forty years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

Penalties for Sexual Abuse of an Animal in Louisiana

Sexual Abuse of an Animal Material can get you, if it's a first offense, up to five years in prison for each count. The penalties in Louisiana are as follows:

(a).....whoever commits the offense of sexual abuse of an animal shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars, imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both.

(b) Whoever commits a second or subsequent offense of sexual abuse of an animal, shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or both.

Courville was booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail. The investigation is ongoing, according to AG officials.

The following is a list of the agencies that worked on this case:

• The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation
• Homeland Security Investigations
• St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office
• Eunice Police Department

Investigators with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation say it was a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had them investigate an Opelousas man.

Charges Filed Against the Opelousas Man Involving Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Officials arrested 30-year-old Jeremy Paul Richard was arrested on the following charge:

Child Sexual Abuse Material involving a person under the age of 13. It's Louisiana Statute 14:81.1 E(5)(a).

He was also booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail.