Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced Friday that Kevin Lillis, 51, of Metairie, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in violation of federal law. Lillis entered his plea before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo and now faces significant prison time, fines, and potential lifetime supervision.
According to court documents, the investigation into Lillis began when Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents executed a search warrant at his residence in March 2024. During the search, agents seized multiple electronic devices belonging to Lillis, which contained hundreds of files depicting the sexual victimization of children.
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Among the materials were over 600 images and 6 videos, including one nearly 12 minutes long, showing the sexual abuse of minors. Additionally, agents found dozens of other obscene visual representations, including images of newborn infants engaging in sexually explicit conduct and files portraying violent sadistic or masochistic acts.
The investigation revealed that Lillis had distributed these files multiple times between January 2024 and March 11, 2024. Agents also uncovered encrypted messaging conversations from 2023 to 2024 in which Lillis admitted to having hands-on sexual contact with multiple young prepubescent minors over the past two decades.
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Lillis pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing child sexual abuse material, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The program, led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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