A woman from Louisiana has admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material produced during a photoshoot she organized. Court documents revealed that Hannah Kinchen, aged 40, from Gonzales, worked with a photographer who identified as a "pedophile" to take photos for the minor victim's modeling career. Kinchen helped the photographer pose the child in minimal clothing, such as thongs and G-strings, during these sessions. These images were then transferred to Kinchen through a file-sharing website. Some of these images were identified as child pornography, with some later being sold.
Kinchen has pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. She will be sentenced on July 15, with her penalty ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years in prison. Her sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal considerations.
The announcement of Kinchen's guilty plea was made by Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney April M. Leon for the Middle District of Louisiana, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. The investigation is being handled by the FBI New Orleans Division - Baton Rouge Resident Agency.
The prosecution team includes Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg from the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana, with notable assistance from CEOS Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006. The initiative tackles child sexual exploitation and abuse, coordinating resources at federal, state, and local levels to apprehend and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.