A Slidell man has pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Jonathan Suarez, 29, entered his plea on December 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
Court documents indicate that an FBI investigation began in early 2024 into the purchase of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children online. Investigators found that Suarez sent and attempted to send money through CashApp on at least six occasions between February 2023 and August 2023 to accounts known for distributing such material.
On April 10, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Suarez’s residence and seized his Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max. A forensic review revealed at least 186 images and 853 videos showing the sexual victimization of children, some as long as over 49 minutes. The materials were saved in about 145 custom-made folders with names describing their content. Some victims depicted were as young as two years old.
The review determined that Suarez downloaded and maintained this collection between February 2023 and April 2025.
Suarez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to twenty years if convicted. He also faces at least five years—and potentially a lifetime—of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, and may be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for February 26, 2025.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work on this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is prosecuting.