Lafayette Parish Couple Gets Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — A Lafayette Parish couple is headed to federal prison after both admitted they sent child sexual abuse material to each other, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Law enforcement agents ran an undercover operation on an internet fetish forum. They started talking with someone who turned out to be Blanchard. He told them he was sexually interested in underage children and sent an undercover agent images showing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with a minor victim.

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Agents then got search and arrest warrants for Blanchard, his home, and his electronic devices. When they showed up, Blanchard admitted he had sent the CSAM images.

Co-Defendant’s Role in Distribution

Blanchard told investigators his girlfriend, Amy Kraft, had helped him by sending him CSAM for his sexual gratification. Kraft was arrested and admitted that she sent the CSAM images to Blanchard to fulfill his sexual fantasies.

U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Blanchard for attempted receipt and attempted distribution of child pornography. Kraft pled guilty to attempted distribution of child pornography and received her sentence on October 1, 2025.

Project Safe Childhood Initiative

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) lead Project Safe Childhood. The program brings together federal, state and local law enforcement to find, arrest, and prosecute people who exploit children online and to identify and rescue victims.

What Louisiana Residents Should Know About Reporting

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted it. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide program the Department of Justice started in May 2006 to fight child sexual exploitation and abuse.

You can report online child sexual exploitation through the Cyber Tip Line or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs the Cyber Tip Line with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

If you need to report suspected human trafficking or get help for victims, call 1-888-373-7888, text “BeFree” (233733), or chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. These lines work 24/7, 365 days a year in English, Spanish, Creole, and more than 200 other languages.