Internet Sex Crime Defense in Louisiana

Written by Jarrett Ambeau, trial attorney, court-qualified forensic DNA expert, and lead counsel at The Ambeau Law Firm.

What is the penalty for computer-aided solicitation of a minor in Louisiana? Under La. R.S. 14:81.3, it carries five to ten years at hard labor without benefit when the victim is thirteen to sixteen, and ten to twenty years when the victim is under thirteen. A conviction requires sex offender registration. Many internet sex cases are also charged federally.

Internet sex crimes cover a range of online conduct, from solicitation of a minor to distribution of illegal images. Many of these cases begin with an undercover sting or a device seizure, and many are prosecuted in federal court. This page explains the charges, how the State proves them, the defenses, and how we fight them.

Quick answers

What it is: Sexual crimes committed online, most often computer-aided solicitation of a minor under La. R.S. 14:81.3.

The penalty: Five to ten years without benefit for a victim thirteen to sixteen, and more for younger victims, plus sex offender registration.

The key issues: Intent, the digital evidence, and whether a sting was set up fairly.

What to do first: Say nothing to investigators, do not consent to a device search, and call a defense lawyer immediately.

What counts as an internet sex crime in Louisiana?

The core Louisiana offense is computer-aided solicitation of a minor. It is committed when a person seventeen or older knowingly uses electronic communication to persuade, induce, or entice someone under seventeen, with a qualifying age gap, into sexual conduct. It also reaches arranging conduct through a third party and continuing contact by other means.

Related conduct includes child sexual abuse materials, sending explicit messages or images to a minor, online extortion, and online solicitation for commercial sex. Because the internet crosses state lines, these cases are frequently charged as federal crimes, which carry their own severe penalties.

Elements the State must prove

For computer-aided solicitation, the State must prove each element beyond a reasonable doubt.

• Electronic contact. That you knowingly communicated by electronic text or message.
• The other person’s age. That they were under seventeen, or reasonably believed to be, with the qualifying age gap.
• Unlawful intent. That you acted with the intent to entice or induce sexual conduct. Intent is the heart of the case.

Intent is what these cases turn on, and it is often disputed. The exact words in the messages carry enormous weight. The State carries the burden. That is where a real defense begins.

What happens after an internet sex crime arrest in Louisiana?

Say Marcus is arrested after an online sting and his devices are seized. Within seventy-two hours he sees a judge for an initial appearance, where a bond is either set or denied. Because this is a felony, the State must formally charge him. If he stays in jail, the State has sixty days to file that charge, under La. C.Cr.P. art. 701.

If the case is federal, the process and the penalties are different and often harsher. Either way, the fight is over the messages, the digital forensics, and how the sting was run. Early work on that evidence is critical.

What are the defenses to internet sex crimes?

• No unlawful intent. The messages must show intent to entice sexual conduct. Ambiguous or incomplete conversations can defeat that.
• Entrapment. If officers induced conduct you were not otherwise predisposed to commit, entrapment may apply.
• Identity and access. On shared devices or accounts, the State must prove it was you who sent the messages.
• Challenging the digital forensics. How devices were seized, imaged, and analyzed can be challenged, along with metadata and message logs.
• Unlawful search. Evidence taken without a valid warrant, or beyond its scope, may be suppressed.

Note that two common arguments do not work here: that the “minor” was actually an undercover officer, and that the juvenile consented. Neither is a defense under the statute, which makes intent and the forensics the real focus.

How we defend an internet sex crime charge

I have taken more than sixty felony jury trials to verdict, and I am a court-qualified forensic DNA expert. These cases are built on digital evidence, and the forensics are where they are won or lost. We gather the evidence, work with computer forensic experts, and examine the full message thread and the metadata behind it.

We look hard at intent, at how any sting was run, and at whether the search was lawful. We handle both state and federal cases. Early aggressive representation makes a difference in a case this serious. It is what we do here at The Ambeau Law Firm.

Frequently asked questions

What is computer-aided solicitation of a minor?

It is the main Louisiana internet sex crime, under La. R.S. 14:81.3. It is committed when a person seventeen or older knowingly uses electronic messages to entice or induce someone under seventeen, with a qualifying age gap, into sexual conduct. It also covers arranging such conduct through a third party. It requires unlawful intent, carries mandatory prison, and requires sex offender registration.

Are internet sex crimes state or federal cases?

They can be either, and sometimes both. Because the internet crosses state lines, federal authorities often prosecute these cases, and federal penalties frequently include mandatory minimums. Louisiana also has its own statutes, like computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Which system you face changes the strategy significantly, so it is important to work with a lawyer experienced in both.

Is it a defense that I was talking to an undercover officer?

No. The statute specifically says it is not a defense that the person believed to be a minor was actually a law enforcement officer. Many of these cases are stings where no real child exists. That does not defeat the charge on its own. But how the officer conducted the conversation still matters, and it can support an entrapment defense or undercut the required intent.

Should I let investigators look at my phone or computer?

No. Do not consent to a search of your devices and do not answer questions. Politely say you want a lawyer. The digital evidence is the heart of these cases, and whether a search was lawful is one of the strongest issues in the defense. Consenting can give away that protection. Anything you say can also be used against you. Call a defense lawyer first.

Talk to a Louisiana internet sex crime defense lawyer

These charges are serious, and the digital evidence is everything. A few questions help us understand your case. Has an arrest already happened? Is this a state or federal matter? Were your devices seized or searched?

Check Jarrett’s availability for your case or call 225-330-7009. The sooner we start, the more we can do.

Louisiana Computer-Aided Solicitation Statute: La. R.S. 14:81.3

Always verify current statute text at the Louisiana State Legislature. The following is an excerpt.

§81.3. Computer-aided solicitation of a minor
A.(1) Computer-aided solicitation of a minor is committed when a person seventeen years of age or older knowingly contacts or communicates, through the use of electronic textual communication, with a person who has not yet attained the age of seventeen where there is an age difference of greater than two years… for the purpose of or with the intent to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce the person to engage or participate in sexual conduct….
B.(1)(a) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section when the victim is thirteen years of age or more but has not attained the age of seventeen shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than five years nor more than ten years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. (b) [When the victim is under thirteen, ten to twenty years.] (c) [When the victim is reasonably believed to be under seventeen, two to ten years.]
C.(1) It shall not constitute a defense… that the person reasonably believed to be under the age of seventeen is actually a law enforcement officer…. (2) It shall not be a defense… that the juvenile consented….
I. A violation of the provisions of this Section shall be considered a sex offense… [requiring] registration….

Source: La. R.S. 14:81.3 (Louisiana State Legislature). Excerpted; definitional and procedural subsections omitted. Amended by Acts 2021, No. 186.