A federal grand jury has indicted Kevontae Kendell Joseph Reed, a 30-year-old resident of Baker, Louisiana, on charges related to child pornography. The indictment includes two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Reed appeared in court for his arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty.
According to the indictment, Reed is accused of using, persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a minor on two separate occasions in January and February 2024 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions. Authorities also allege that he possessed a black iPhone containing images of child pornography during the relevant period.
If convicted on the production charges, Reed faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison and up to thirty years, along with a possible $250,000 fine and up to lifetime supervised release. Conviction on the possession charge could result in up to ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to lifetime supervised release. Additionally, if found guilty, Reed would be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements that may last for life.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Vick and Edward H. Warner are prosecuting the case; Warner also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to find offenders who exploit children online and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall stated: “An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.”
