NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
JANUARY 23, 2008

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DANNY M. DAUGHERTY, age 59, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty this morning before U. S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. to three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the factual basis, on May 8, 2007, members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and Slidell Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant's home in Slidell for stolen property. During the execution of the warrant, law enforcement officers found a red plastic covered folio that contained images of nude boys, some of which appeared to be printed from a computer. Officers also found a laptop computer in the residence, as well as a portable USB hard drive inside a duffel bag. Officers then contacted a Slidell Police Detective assigned to the FBI's Innocent Images Task Force who obtained an arrest warrant charging Daugherty with possession of child pornography, and a federal search warrant for the computer equipment. When officers attempted to arrest DAUGHERTY, he pulled a loaded Beretta 9 mm. semi-automatic pistol. DAUGHERTY was taken into custody only after numerous back-up units arrived on the scene. DAUGHERTY has been in federal custody since his May 9, 2007 arrest.

During the search of DAUGHERTY's computer equipment, FBI Computer Forensic Examiners and Special Agents located approximately fifty thousand images depicting the sexual victimization of children. Agents also discovered what appeared to be images of young boys taken by the defendant.

With the assistance of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and the Slidell Police Department, the FBI confirmed that DAUGHERTY had produced images of child pornography of three young boys who lived in the defendant's neighborhood and ranged in age from 12 to 14.

This successful prosecution was a joint effort by federal prosecutors, the FBI, members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, and Slidell Police Department.

Speaking to today's plea, U. S. Attorney Jim Letten stated:

"The aggressive investigation, pursuit, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of child pornographers and those predators who endanger our children remains one of our top priorities - simply because the safety and welfare of our children is our top priority. As we effect the separation from society today of this dangerous predator who has exploited and harmed children, we assure the public that we will continue to use the power, expertise, and dedication of federal law enforcement, as well as that of our state and local partners, to hunt down and punish those among us who would prey upon innocent children."

FBI Special Agent in Charge James Bernazzani stated,

"Daugherty violated a child's sense of trust to exploit the innocence of three minors in Slidell. He collected images depicting the sexual victimization of children to satisfy a depraved sense of desire. I can think of nothing more vile than a child being exploited for one's sexual pleasure. It is disgusting, it is abhorrent and for this predator, Mr. Daugherty, it is over."

Slidell Police Chief Freddie Drennan added:

"We are pleased to get this defendant off of the streets of Slidell because his presence has obviously been a detriment to the young people in the area. I also want to offer my thanks to the men and women of the law enforcement agencies involved in this case. Dangerous predators like Daugherty need to be separated from society as long as possible. This guilty plea is evidence of our partnership with other law enforcement agencies to remove predators and protect the children of Slidell."

DAUGHERTY faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen (15) years and possible maximum sentence of thirty (30) years as to the three counts charging production of child pornography, and a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment as to the count charging possession of child pornography. Upon release from any prison sentence, DAUGHERTY will be placed on supervised release up to a term of life, be required to give a DNA sample, and will have to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2008 at 9:00 A.M.

The prosecution of this case was handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba and Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.

# # # #