A joint law enforcement operation in Northwest Louisiana led to the arrests of three men on charges related to online child exploitation, with assistance from the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The operation was hosted by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office and aimed to identify and arrest individuals seeking minors on online platforms for the purpose of sexual intercourse. According to a press release from Liz Murrill, the suspects were communicating with juveniles on social media platforms when they were identified by law enforcement and later taken into custody.
Agencies involved in the investigation included the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation under Murrill’s office, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport Police Department.
Arrested were 35-year-old Edwin Roberts II, of Hwy. 6 East in Natchitoches, and 24-year-old Garrett Godejohn, also of Hwy. 6 East in Natchitoches. Roberts was charged with one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of computer aided solicitation of a minor. Godejohn was charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual abuse of an animal.
The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office made the arrests of Roberts and Godejohn, who lived together. Both were booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center. Their bond status was not available.
Also arrested was 35-year-old David Lee Clark, of Peyton Street in Shreveport. Clark was charged with one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. He was arrested by the Shreveport Police Department and booked into the Shreveport City Jail. His bond status was not available.
“We will continue conducting proactive operations with our partners on the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to arrest individuals intent on sexually exploiting our children. I want to thank the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport Police Department for their assistance and hard work on this effort,” Murrill said.
Additional charges are anticipated, and the investigation remains ongoing.