BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office announced five people are in custody for suspected indecent behavior with juveniles as part of an investigation into social media platforms.
According to the sheriff’s office, law enforcement arrested Emmanuel Rivas, Lee Lepke, Jason Shaw, Paul Briley Venable, and Brandon Buhler following a proactive investigation into the five suspects on various social media platforms.
Charges
- Emmanuel Rivas, 26, of Denham Springs, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with juveniles and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. He currently has an ICE hold.
- Lee Lepke, 31, of Soldiers Grove, WI, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with juveniles and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor.
- Jason Shaw, 41, of Walker, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with juveniles and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor.
- Paul Briley Venable, 37, of Lafayette, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with juveniles and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor.
- Brandon Buhler, 27, of Hammond, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with juveniles.
“The LPSO ICAC Task Force is constantly utilizing innovative ways to combat the online dangers awaiting the children of this parish and the State of Louisiana,” Sheriff Jason Ard said. “Detectives are identifying individuals preying on naive and innocent juvenile users of social media platforms and gaming servers online.”
The Louisiana Bureau of Investigations/Attorney General’s Office, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office ICAC Task Force (Wisconsin) helped LPSO’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with their investigation.
According to the sheriff’s office, narcotics agents conducted a follow-up investigation stemming from Jason Shaw’s arrest.
Deputies said Shaw was given the following additional charges: 5 counts of possession with intent Schedule 1 CDS, one count of controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a firearm, one count of violation of controlled dangerous substance near a school, and one count of controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor.
This is an ongoing investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
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