A federal complaint lodged against a Metairie man last week accuses him of paying for child pornography through cryptocurrency online.
Carson Riess was charged with receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography in the complaint filed May 21.
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations have investigated Riess since January of 2023. This is when investigators say Riess used a Cox Communications IP address to download 21 files from software used share child pornography.
Cox responded to law enforcement, linking the IP address to Riess at his home in the 700 block of Pasadena Avenue in Metairie. In December of 2023, Riess was also tracked to his bitcoin address, which investigators say sent cryptocurrency to an online user known to offer child sex abuse materials in exchange for a membership fee.
Homeland Security investigators linked Riess to the Bitcoin Depot ATM at a gas station on Airline Drive. They also noted in their complaint that PayPal had previously reported Riess for transferring cryptocurrency to a seller of child pornography.
On May 16, authorities issued two federal search warrants, and on May 20 at 7:30 a.m., they were executed at Riess’ home.
Riess gave agents an interview admitting that one of his computers contained the software often used by offenders, according to agents. Riess also admitted to downloading files containing child pornography but said he would typically delete that content because “that’s not what he was looking for,” according to court records.
Riess ultimately admitted to sending cryptocurrency, too, but said he was only looking for “young” pornography. During the search, investigators found a desktop computer which contained child pornography of a prepubescent girl forced to perform a sex act with a man.
Riess awaits a June 5 detention hearing in federal court.
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