By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — Authorities in St. John apprehended a LaPlace man for possession of child pornography and his alleged ties to web sites featuring images of juveniles engaged in sexual activity, said a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Maj. Mike Tregre, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said the arrest of 63-year-old Gary Hickman, which took place November 24, was the culmination of a two-and-a-half year investigation that involved agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office and the state attorney general’s office.

Tregre said the investigation led officers to Hickman’s home, located at 49 Country Club Drive in LaPlace. Tregre said agents met with Hickman at his home, where he consented to a forensic preview of his personal computer. Tregre said agents found several images of underage children engaged in sexual activity.

Tregre said Hickman also voluntarily gave agents evidence that linked himself to child pornography websites that have been under investigation by several federal agencies. Hickman was arrested on site and booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace on charges of possession of pornography involving juveniles. He has since been released after posting bond, set at $25,000 by District Court Judge Mary Hotard Becnel.

“This arrest is another reminder that the Saint John Parish Sheriff’s Office will continually work with it’s partners in law enforcement to protect our children by identifying and arresting anyone that tries to hide behind a computer and exploit children,” said St. John Sheriff Wayne Jones in a statement following the arrest.