Ponchatoula man booked on rape, child porn counts
Authorities booked a Ponchatoula man on an aggravated rape count and three counts of pornography involving juveniles, the state Attorney General’s Office reported Thursday.
Robert Swan, 51, of 39790 W. Sam Arnold Loop, in Ponchatoula, was arrested after a joint investigation with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said.
A search of Swan’s residence produced evidence he was involved in the possession, production and distribution of child pornography, Caldwell said.
Evidence obtained from his computer also led to investigators booking Swan with aggravated rape, the attorney general said.
The rape involved a young girl about two years ago, but details of that incident and the other counts remain under investigation, said Laura Gerdes Colligan, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office.
Swan, who was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, could face more than 20 years in prison per pornography count if convicted.
If convicted of aggravated rape, he could be sentenced to life in prison without parole, Caldwell said.
Suspected cases of Internet crime can be reported by contacting the Louisiana Attorney General’s High Technology Crime Unit at 1-800-256-4506, Caldwell said.