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Homeland Security takes over child porn indictment
Published 7 December 2010
The HSI, a relatively new name for the Department of Homeland Security's detective division, picked up the investigation of a child pornography case at the federal level at the request of the Biloxi Police Department; "In a nutshell, we investigate crimes related to any person, goods or contraband coming into or leaving the United States," said Ray Parmer, special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations' New Orleans office
A computer Biloxi police found with a search warrant in 2009 led to a DHS investigation and the indictment of Harry Gonsoulin Jr. of Biloxi on a child pornography charge, said Ray Parmer, special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations’ New Orleans office.
An indictment unsealed after Gonsoulin’s arrest last Wednesday alleges he was in possession of a computer with pictures or videos of minors involved in sexually explicit acts on or about 18 November 2009.
The HSI, a relatively new name for the Department of Homeland Security’s detective division, picked up the investigation at the federal level at the request of the Biloxi Police Department.
Parmer is in charge of a five-state region. “In a nutshell, we investigate crimes related to any person, goods or contraband coming into or leaving the United States,” Parmer said.
“Kiddie porn — child porn — once it hits the Internet, it’s worldwide. The crime becomes international. We have the computer forensic agents who drill down in the hard drives of these computers, even if the images have been erased. The FBI has the authority to do it, as well. Biloxi police chose to call our office in Gulfport.” The indictment does not mention details of the investigation, but Parmer said it goes back to a 2009 Biloxi police investigation.
The Sun Herald reports that Gonsoulin was arrested on several misdemeanor charges in 2009 following an undercover operation targeting escort services and prostitutes.
He was charged with prostitution — accused of being a pimp — and violating city codes by running an illegal escort service.
Soon after those arrests, police pulled him over in a traffic stop and said they found marijuana in his car, which led to a search warrant for his home on Lost Channel Drive. Police at the time said they found marijuana in Gonsoulin’s home.
The multi-county probe in November 2009 also targeted the online solicitation of sexual services on the Coast via craigslist.com.
At the time, Biloxi police and the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County said seventeen alleged prostitutes arrested in the sting at area hotels were working for Gonsoulin.
Gonsoulin told the Sun Herald that was not true, but said he did have five women who worked for him as escorts.
Gonsoulin was arraigned on the child-porn charge Wednesday. He entered a plea of not guilty.
U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden set a trial date of 10 January and ordered Gonsoulin held pending a detention hearing Monday.
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