Ex-minister indicted in porn
Man volunteered at high schools in Crowley, Lafayette
LAFAYETTE — A federal grand jury indicted a former youth minister of St. Thomas More High School with producing child pornography and attempting to persuade minors to engage in criminal sexual acts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday.
The 20-count indictment, returned Wednesday, charges Eric Michael Manuel, 22, of Lafayette, with 18 counts of production of child pornography and two counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to persuade a minor to engage in criminal sexual acts.
Manuel is the current owner of Half Back Media and was active as a Catholic Youth Ministry volunteer.
Manuel is accused of engaging in explicit Internet exchanges with young boys he met on Facebook, according to an FBI complaint.
The Kaplan Police Department also has accused Manuel of having sexual contact with a 15-year-old he met on Facebook. Manuel was arrested on a carnal knowledge of a juvenile count stemming from three visits he allegedly made to the boy’s home.
The complaint says Manuel pretended to be a 14-year-old girl in an effort to persuade four other boys ages 13 to 15 to send him sexually explicit photos.
Manuel has volunteered with youth ministry programs at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette and at Notre Dame High School in Crowley. He also has participated in youth retreats and a mission trip, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette has said.
Manuel graduated from St. Thomas More in 2008 and attended seminary for about a month before he voluntarily withdrew, the Diocese has said.
If convicted of using a facility in interstate commerce to persuade a minor to engage in criminal sexual acts, Manuel could face life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The production of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lafayette Resident Agency, State Police and the Lafayette Police Department.