NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –  JOYCE JOSEPH BANERJEE (“BANERJEE”), age 56, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on May 5, 2023 for receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.  If convicted, BANERJEE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571.  In addition, BANERJEE faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

According to court documents , the case against BANERJEE stemmed from an online child sexual abuse material investigation by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office.  Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) then took over the investigation and special agents executed a federal search warrant at BANERJEE’s New Orleans home in April of 2023.  HSI’s investigation determined BANERJEE received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 Attorney’s 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.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.

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