August 21, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of “Louisiana Unfiltered” 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux joins Kiran Chawla as they discuss the recent lawsuit brought against Roblox by the State of Louisiana, The rising success of the Attorney General’s ICAC program and the lowering rate of Fentanyl related overdose deaths in Livingston Parish and surrounding parishes.
Chapters
01:59 Roblox Lawsuit
09:44 Safeguards and Responsibilities
19:14 Shifting to Internet Crimes
21:59 Overdoses Declines
28:08 Mental Health and Addiction Issues
Local Sponsors for this episode include:
Neighbors Federal Credit Union:
Another Chance Bail Bonds:
Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers
Sound and Editing for this audio podcast by Envision Podcast Production:
Chapters
01:59 Roblox Lawsuit
09:44 Safeguards and Responsibilities
19:14 Shifting to Internet Crimes
21:59 Overdoses Declines
28:08 Mental Health and Addiction Issues
Local Sponsors for this episode include:
Neighbors Federal Credit Union:
Another Chance Bail Bonds:
Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers
Sound and Editing for this audio podcast by Envision Podcast Production:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode is sponsored by Deli de Boja, injury lawyers
fighting for those who've been hurt and deserve to be heard,
from crashes on the road to injuries on the job.
Our team is here to protect your rights and get results.
You focus on healing, We'll handle the rest.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Called four four four four four four to four.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Or visit delidboja dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Responsible attorney James Pelcha betrouge.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Roadblocks it's a gaming platform with over eighty two million
daily users. Fifty six percent of those are under the
age of seventeen. Louisiana is the first state to file
a lawsuit against Roadblocks, a forty billion dollar public company,
(00:56):
for its alleged failure to provide specific sales safeguards to
keep miners safe. In this episode, I sit down with
Scott Paralleu, the longtime district attorney for the twenty first
Judicial District. It's also where this civil case will be prosecuted.
(01:16):
We also discuss the Attorney General's IKAC program and how
this program has led to positive results in law enforcement's
effort to catch online predators. We wrap up with a
discussion on the fight against Fetnohl, which is resulting in
a drop in overdose depths in Livingston Parish. I'm Karen
(01:39):
Shalla and this is Louisiana Unfiltered. Welcome back everyone. This
week we are joined by the twenty first Judicial District
(02:02):
Courts District Attorney Scott Perlieu. Thank you so much for
joining us, Thank you care good to be here, twenty
first JDC. For our listeners who don't know, that is
going to cover Livingston, tan Chapeho and Saint Alina parishes,
that's correct. And before we got started, you were telling
me what is the count of people in these three parishes?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yeah, somewhere, you know, when you think about Livingston, I
think Livingston real numbers probably pushing one hundred and forty
five thousand, Tansibo about one hundred, one hundred and forty
one hundred and thirty five somewhere in there. So throw
in the ten thousand in Saint Alena. So we're knocking
on that three hundred thousand population in the in the
tri parish area in the twenty first. So it's a
(02:42):
big area, that's me And it's a big obviously a
big geographic area when you look at the ground that
it covers. But now population, why since since the storms
you know, over the years, Katrina and different ones, we
we've really bumped up in numbers and I like to think,
you know, we've provide a quality place uh to live
for people and uh the numbers have shown that well.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
And I think a lot of people are starting to
move away from cities and these three parishes have a
lot of rule locations.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Correct and lots and you look at Livingston has been uh,
you know, their school system has been a strength for years.
So if you're if you're young and you're looking to
start a family or have a young family and school's
issue for you, you can you can put them in
a public school here and save that that money that
you normally might pay for private school and all that
(03:36):
makes a difference. So I think I think Livingston has
has done a great job with that and the numbers
show it well.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Speaking of parents, let's kind of transition into one of
the main reasons we're talking today roadblocks. Now, I'm going
to be absolutely transparent with our listeners. I had to
school myself on what is roadblocks and I guess now
that I've learned even probably the little bit that I
do know, A big part of me is saying WHOA.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
Yeah, the more you hear, the more kind of concern
you get about it, particularly if you.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have young children.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
And yeah, and I have to confess too, I'm not
an expert on it either. The matter that the AG
filed last week in Livingston Parish is a civil case
where they're seeking seeking damages. I assume monetary damages, which
is where you you hit people, you hit companies and
people that are not doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And and uh.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Apparently they have they have failed, or at least the
AG is alleging they have failed in providing the adequate
safeguards uh two, two or four predators to have access
to young children on the internet, you know. And and
and that's a big that's a big thing these days.
I mean not just roadblocks, but in general. You know,
(04:54):
there's a lot of effort in law enforcement now to
to catch arrest predators on the internet who are doing
things that are violating the law. When you try to
physically meet and have bad intentions with someone fourteen years
fourteen years old or younger, and that's out there every day.
That's why they're arresting people every day. You know, that's bad.
(05:15):
We've got to address that and I think resources are
being committed.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
To do that.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
And I want to come back to that because Livingston
Parish has had several of these cases and they're going
through you for prosecution, yes, and just for explanation to
our listeners, because maybe not a lot of people understand
how the system works. Law enforcement makes the arrest. Right
after that arrest is made, it's coming in your division, correct,
(05:45):
and from there it goes to a prosecutor, and that
is where the law, well, the prosecuting side begins. The
court system proceedings should I say, begin staying on roadblocks.
I'm going to kind of explain this the way I
was explained it. I granted, I'm about to age myself.
(06:06):
I'm thinking a Nintendo, a Sega. I don't even think
those exist anymore. But back in the day, those were
the cool games. Now everything's on social media. So this
is an app. You can download it, you can go
to the website, you can do whatever. But once you're
in this app, it's one of those that you could
just get lost in the app alone. And in fact,
(06:27):
scot eighty two million users on a daily that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Eighty two million, that's.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Incredible, and more than fifty percent of them are under
the age of twelve.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You know, I think, I think about my own situation
I have I have grandchildren, and there I have a
three year old and two five year olds, and they
can they start early, is the point I'm making.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I mean, they have iPads that they have access.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
To, and yeah, they're watching harmless things now at two
and five years old. Even educational. There's a good side
to having access to the web and the Internet, but
they learn. My point is they learn to be tech
kind of tech savvy, savvy and efficient at a young
age and that just progresses. What's the joke out there,
if you have a problem with your phone or your computer,
go find a twelve year old or whatever to help
(07:15):
you straighten it out. And there's a lot of truth
to that. So, uh, the point is they're getting started
on this early. They're they're way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Ahead of us that are much us older people on
what we know about it. And and therein lies the danger.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Right the risk of of what's out there and when
and there are people out there, let's face it, unfortunately
with bad intentions, you know, with very bad intentions, and
and things are changing, and that's where they're going with
the technology and law enforcement uh and and the laws
in general will.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Have to keep up.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
And that's correct because the effort, the job right or
the effort right is to keep keep kids safe, keep
children safe.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Well, so it is hard, you're right.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I want to talk about some of the statistics that
we're given at the press conference last week. Twenty percent
of all of the users, and remember us at eighty
two million, they're under the age of nine, but fifty
seven percent or under the age of twelve, so that
that's huge. Yeah, twenty percent are between the ages of
nine and twelve, sixteen percent are under the age or
(08:21):
between thirteen and seventeen. Thirteen and sixteen, forty four percent
are kids seventeen year older. Your brains are not developed
these early ages.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Right, So fifty six percent of the users are very
very young. Yes, you know, So you're right exactly. And
that's you combine that with with the people out there
with evil and bad intentions, and it's a recipe for problems.
And I come in the ag for trying to do
something about it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
It's because it's only going to get worse if we
don't address it well.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
In the lawsuit was purposely filed in twenty first JDC,
which mainly in Livingston Parish because thanks to the Chris
Hansen Show partnering up with Sheriff Jason RD in Lovingston Parish,
they were able to find a case where a man
was using roadblocks to private message the kids and pretty
(09:19):
much allegedly do some illegal things with.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Yes, yeah, so it all kind of tied in perfectly
for that. But based on what you're saying, with the
statistics and from what I just have seen in the job,
it's not that hard to find that type of that
type of scenario, you know. So you know, I was
shooting fish in a barrel a little bit. But it's
(09:46):
again good that it's being addressed. Let's hope it, you know,
it does some good.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
And I want to explain what roadblocks is going back
to that. So, yes, it's the app, it's a website.
You but once you're there you can almost get lost
in it. In this you build experiences. So the example
I was saying is like I want to go in.
I'm a user and I want to build Lego Land.
I don't know, the more legos you have on your
(10:12):
back while you're playing, you climb the ladder so now
players can play my experience of Lego Land. Well, there's
nothing wrong with that one. But there are experiences such
as Escape from Epstein Island. Yeah, there's diddy Land. The
Escape for Epstein Island is trying to make players basically
(10:36):
have sex in order to get off of the island,
and then telling kids, hey, go have sex with this
person or look for someone who looks like this or
has this. A child does not need to be exposed
to these kind of things.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Not at all, and.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Therefore we need the safeguards we have. You know, if
the technology is there to do all this stuff, then
there should be technology to provide safeguards from that. So
I guess they're responsible. And apparently Roadblocks is not just
a nickel and dime operation. I was told forty billion,
forty billion dollar company, forty billion with a B. I
(11:12):
mean that's pretty serious. Certainly they they have the ability
with technology to do something about young children being having
access to things like that. I mean that that just
doesn't that's just ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Quite frankly, it is. And in comparison, what the AG
talked about, the Attorney General talked about is that TikTok
has forty thousand moderators, but in comparison, Roadblocks has three thousand. Yeah,
but you got eighty two million users.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, I can't keep up with that.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
No, right, So the purpose of the lawsuit is to
put some safeguards up because right now, you can get
on it. I can get on it. You can get
on saying you are a twelve year old girl. I
can get on it and say I'm a seventeen year
old boy. And I can go target a child and
eventually private message them and say meet me at so
(12:06):
and so place, or somehow manipulate you into sending me
vulgar photos and that's child porn or possession of child pornography,
And how do you know what my intentions are?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
That's right, that's a great point.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
And then the kids nowadays, they are they're hiding it
out from their parents. They're not telling them. And that's
why we stress it over and over. Every law enforcement
stresses it over and over. In today's day and age,
parenting in the digital world, you've got to monitor everything.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
No question about it that I was going to bring
that up.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
That's the key as a parent, if you want to
you have to be very, very vigilant and mindful about
what your children are doing on the internet and on
their phones. I mean, because the risk are there and
they're real, they are real. And again there it's one
thing if you want to say, somebody is on the
computer and they're kind of harmless, you know, they're just
a just a keyboard warrior. And but when they start,
(12:59):
when they take the next step and say, not only
am I I'm going to do this on the computer
and make this contact and do this this little song
and dance and try to impress somebody, But then they
get up and get in their car to go meet them.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yes, that's where that's where it gets.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
It gets spooky, and that's happened.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It happens.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
That's that's the basis of our cases that you're mentioning
with Chris Hansen and the computer aided solicitation is the
is the title of the law that they usually violate.
You know, they're doing on the computer. But again they're
they're taking that next step, which is to show up.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And who knows what their intentions are.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
They're yeah, you can you can assume make a pretty
good assumption probably what their intentions are.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
And they're not good in fact, in one of the
cases which to our listeners. We did do a podcast
with Chris Hansen as well as the share If he
did the interview with them. But we had a case
where it was a man from New Orleans who was
sending an uber to a child I believe in Livingston Parish,
and I think the uber driver multiple uber drivers said
(14:05):
that's the child. We're not getting involved, we're not getting involved,
and then one of them actually ended up calling law enforcement.
So we're not making these cases up.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Not at all, not at all. They're real.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
They're very real, and it's it's when you think about it,
it's very very scary, it's sad, it's it's just and
at the end of the day, it's criminal. So uh,
you know, I appreciate the fact somebody there there's there's
extra funding coming down for these ikak uh Internet Crimes
against Children units that the sheriffs are doing. I know
you're tuned in the livings to Parish, but they're doing
(14:36):
them as well in Hammond and Tankbo Parish and so
you know, I applaud wherever the funding's coming and coming
from on the grants to do this, and and it's
it's given us a lot of business. Karen has given us,
you know, things to do, not that we're looking for
anything to do, but it's it's becoming more and more
a part of every day in the office.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Well, you have been prosecuting for Quie sometime in your experience.
How much more is the online world, the computer aided solicitation,
all of the internet crimes, especially on children. How much
worse has that gotten, maybe compared to when you first
became being.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Well, it's certainly it's certainly a lot more what it
didn't even exist when I first started. But it's certainly
and again you've made reference earlier. All we really know
about in the DA's office is what the law enforcement
agencies bring to us, you know. So what's even more
concerning and scary is what is what is going on
out there that they don't know about therefore we don't
(15:37):
know about and and are we just are are we
just kind of nipping at the at the edges of
what's going on out there? I mean, we're doing everybody's
doing what they can do. But that's what's scary out there.
And therefore that's why if you're a parent, you you
know you can't you can't rely on law enforcement to
do everything, you know, protect your children. You can ask
for it and hopefully it works. But my point is
(15:58):
it's just there's out there everywhere. I mean, the way
I was, Internet's like air right is everywhere. So uh,
some of this has got to follow on parents to
be to be mindful of what their kids are doing.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
So and I don't know if you know this answer,
but I'm going to go ahead and ask. I can
go in my phone and delete a text message, so
you're not if you hold my phone, you're not going
to see that text. If a child is deleting something,
or and again excuse my ignorance on roadblocks, but if
I go in and delete something and mom and dad
don't see it, or I am now private messaging texting
(16:32):
with this guy, yeah, and I go in in my
phone and delete it. Does a parent have access or
control to where it's parental control?
Speaker 5 (16:44):
That's a good question. And I don't know if I'm
I'm qualified to answer that either, but I you know,
I think at some point decisions there are I think
there are controls. I mean, you can does a ten
year old need a full service cell phone, you know,
with internet service?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Or does a twelve year old.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
I understand you letting them have some some availability for
cell phone service for various reasons. That makes sense, But
I think I'm pretty sure there are limitations that can
be used to what's accessible and what that phone and
computer can do. So again, there are plenty of technology
(17:24):
people out there that could answer things like that, but
I'm pretty sure there are controls available.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But You're right, it's getting tougher.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
It is because, I mean, I guess I'm used to
the law side, the law enforcement side, the prosecuting side,
that even if a text is deleted through a subpoena,
through the technologies, you can recover those text messages and
they can be used against you in court.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, I asked LaToya Cantrell.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I mean, well, I wasn't going to go there, but
fifteen thousand text messages, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And it was on a Yeah that's supposed to be.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Encrypted, right, So yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Good, lesson there. Nothing ever really goes away to No, it.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Does not, but that's law enforcement can pull all. I
guess for a normal parent, your grandchild, she deletes a
not that a five year old is texting, but you
know what I mean, if she goes in and deletes
a text. How are you, as a parent or a
grandparent going to realize, wait, she just deleted a text.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
However, and again I could be wrong, but I believe
there's a way to know that. You might have to
find the right person that can figure that out, and
it doesn't have to be an FBI agent to do it.
I think some of that can be done. But I
could be wrong, But that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
So going back to roadblocks, one of the things I
was told is that for a safeguard, and obviously roadblocks,
this is not the first time and issues come up,
they've got to have been alerted multiple times that you
do not provide any safeguards for kids.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
I would think this is not even the first lawsuit
they've been on the backside of it would be my thought.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But yeah, they know.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I would think that makes perfect sense. Yeah, and it
makes sense also to hit them in the pocket book. Yeah,
if it's a monetary lawsuit, because how do you get
somebody's attention, right.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
That's that's the purpose of a civil lawsuit.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Either to get either to give damages monetary damages or
are some sort of injunctive relief, you know, get some
kind of restraining order in places, that's the real reasons
to file a civil lawsuit. So I hope it works out.
It'd be interesting. It'd be right there at our courthouse
to monitor.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So so if the AG has filed it, and she's
filed it here, they're prosecuting it.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Correct, Well, they're they're the they're representing the state that
is the plaintive.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Okay, be my thoughts.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Okay. One of the things I was going to say, though,
is that obviously Roadblocks probably realized, hey, we have an issue,
so they did put in a safeguard in a sense
of the algorithm would pick up that if a private
message is sent and saying let's say snapchat that let's
move over to snapchat, the algorithm flags that. But the
(20:08):
case that happened here in Livingston Parish, the person instead
of using snapchat or saying snapchat, I think he was
spelling it backwards. So he's saying pants, meet me in
pans or let's switch over to pants. Well you just
bypass that algorithm. Yeah, but it's like we were talking,
how do kids know? I'd be like, what is pans?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah? A twelve year old tricky.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
Yeah, it's scary too.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It is scary. It is scary.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Wow, yeah, but that's the world we're living in right now,
apparently so. But I think the object of the lawsuit is,
you know, roadblocks you're making your forty billion dollar company.
You can you can hire the engineers, you can find
ways to make this a safer product out there, you know,
to protect children.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Absolutely, So blood switch gears and talk about additional I
guess internet crimes. Livingston Parish has a lot here. They're
also heavily prosecuted and heavily arrested, and Chris Hansen has
played a big part in that. So has the the
Internet Crimes against Children the IKAC. Let's talk about that
(21:22):
as the DA I guess, tell us what you're seeing
and you're and now I'm not saying just Livingston Parish
for all three of your jurisdictions.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Well, we're seeing a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Like you mentioned earlier, we get those We get those
referrals after the Sheriff's office and the police agencies make
those arrests. So we get them and we're and that's
where the process starts.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
So we're it's.
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Every every I was every division accord, you know, we
prosecute by division. So I have an assistant DA in
every charge of every division. Those cases are in every
division right now, so they're occupying our time. And but
that's okay, that's what we're there for. I'm not complaining.
But but the numbers have definitely increased, I mean, which
(22:06):
is concerning. And again the concern not only that we
know it's increasing, but are we are we getting enough?
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You know?
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Are we are we catching tapping all the people that
are doing this? Probably not, because you could get somebody
on your show from the Eyekac unit to explain how
it really works. But I don't think it's a big
I don't think it's a big complicated effort to find
some guy out there who's who solicits is willing to
solicit online with a fourteen year old?
Speaker 2 (22:35):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
I don't think it takes very long once you put
something out there, and I don't know how you do it, thankfully,
I don't know how. But it's apparently it's not real difficult.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
It's scary. A fourteen year old is not very old.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
No, no, it's a child.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
It's a child, right, so still a child, right, still
goofy and they don't know what they're falling for. Unfortunately,
in some cases it could it couldn't cost you a life.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
And these are guys again that kind of when not
talking about people that engage in some back and forth
on the computer. We're talking about guys that actually take
that next step to get up and physically meet.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
That's the scary part. So where we are, what.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Is the sentence for crimes?
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Like the minimum morning, I can tell you is five years?
Is a five year sentence and it's a sex offense.
So they started day for day. I'll be honest, I
don't know the max. I never thought about the max.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I guess the scary part for me is if you
are convicted of it, but you can be back out
on the streets and well five.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Years yeah yeah, I mean, but you're a registered sex offender.
We hope people learn a lesson and they go to jail,
you know.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So that is very very scary.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
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has been a big, big, big problem. In fact, we
(25:26):
just had East mountin Ridge Parish sheriff said gotro on
a few weeks ago, and he was talking about how
their overdose numbers are down drastically. There are several reasons
for that, so that made us look a little bit
further into additional parishes. Livingston Parish, this is probably about
a month ago. Year to date twenty three deaths. All
(25:50):
of last year was fifty seven twenty twenty three, eighty six,
but twenty twenty two, one hundred and twenty need two
people died from overdoses. That's that's that's a lot. So
were you also starting to see that decline in overdose cases?
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Well, this is this is what we were seeing. I
think and feel certain there was an emphasis on law enforcement,
you know, and investigating fentanyl distributors, you know, getting information
on on who they thought were the big time fen
distributors within the parish. And I think the narcotics guys
would tell you if there was there was communication between
(26:32):
the corner's office and the narcotics detectives. Whenever they got
information about a big fentanyl shipment coming into this area,
uh the corner, the respective overdose numbers go up. You know,
there's a correlation there. It seems like it simple, but
you never know where the fentanyl's really al where who
(26:53):
is ending up with. But the correlation was obviously there,
So I think the emphasis got was you know, the
fennel everybody. It was getting everybody's attention, you know, law enforcement,
the corner us. So we got to do something about this.
And and I think the emphasis on enforcement stepped up
and a lot more arrests were made with fentanyl because
(27:15):
more fentanyl was coming in, and I think the emphasis
was made by law enforcement. So we started seeing cases
with with pretty significant fentanyl, either possession with intent or distribution,
Guys that were sitting on a lot of fentanyl to
put out and distribute. So I think there was an
emphasis on that just getting some people off the street prosecuting.
(27:36):
Then we had some good prosecutions of fentanel dealers, and
we've also utilized the law that makes it a second
offense murder, I'm sorry, second degree murder. If someone dies
from the drug that is illegally distributed to them in
an overdose situation, that person that distributed that drug that
(27:57):
caused the death could be arrested and prosecuted for second
degree murder, which is a mandatory life sentence. So there's
been several arrests on that. We were prosecuting several of
those and and have a bunch of those going through
the system. So my thought is, I think all that
has worked together to put the word out. Look, you've
got to be careful about using this stuff now, I mean,
(28:21):
and that's the other thing. I think there's been a
lot of education on fentanyl that this stuff's deadly. You know,
you cannot you cannot play Russian.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Roulette with it. It's deadly. And it's also not just
limited to direct fentanyl. Fentanyl.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Apparently, fentyl is very very potent. It's what a lot
of addicts they like the way it makes them feel,
and it's cheap apparently, so all that makes it accessible,
and it also opens the door for it to be
mixed laced with other crime, with other drugs. Meth, they
tell me. The narcotics guys even tell me marijuana. They're
(28:56):
finding marijuana laced with fentanyl. So just as you think, oh,
I'm using marijuana, if you're buying it off the street,
you don't know where it came from. You are, again
my Russian Roulette example, you know, or analogy you are
You're just taking your life in your hands.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
And I mean we've said this over and over. Like
you said, I think education is prime. Also or key.
Should I say that the smallest bit of fetanyel can
kill you? Yeah, you don't need a lot. And then
if you've never taken drugs before, even just a little
bit is enough to kill you.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
But the addiction problem is just it's ongoing. You know,
it's been there. When I first went into DA's office,
crack cocaine was the big drug, you know that everybody
was worried about.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
But and then it became myth, right, you know, the
cooking of the myth, the meth labs, all that is.
That transition to that myth was kind of the emphasis.
But whatever it is, addiction, I mean, addiction is real.
People have addiction issues. Mental health is real. I've come
to learn. You know, where one starts and the other one,
(30:05):
they're they're interrelated, and where one starts and the other
one ends and begins is always I don't think that's scientific.
My point is a lot of our addiction problems are
rooted in mental health problems. And a lot of people
with mental health problems know they have it. They know
they're supposed to take medicine. The medicine doesn't they don't
like the way makes them feel. Next thing, you know,
they're self medicating with drugs that they're not supposed to
(30:26):
take and they could be dangerous so and they could
have fentanyl with them and and that's it's all. There's
no there's no perfect formula for the way this happens,
but it all happens in certain ways. And we're in
the in the judicial system, we're all always trying to
clean up clean up that mess.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Right, how do we deal with it?
Speaker 5 (30:43):
You know, does that person need drug court? Which is
which is a treatment court? Uh, you know, have some
intense treatment, learn how to live with their addiction, uh,
stay within the law. Or do they need mental health treatment?
Or do they need both? And that's that's always a
tough tough and look probably every we all know families
that deal with this, and there's a lot of and
(31:04):
they struggle with it, and it's parents. Are they fight
it and fight what's you know? Is it tough love?
Do I just put them out on the street or
do I commit more resources to try to get them help?
Very real and very tough issues every day.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
And it doesn't help that we've had so many mental
health facilities that have really shut down.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Well, that's true, that is right.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
And and there's there's been, there's some private entities out
there that try to fill fill the gap on that,
and they're very good, and I got to give them credit.
They're very skilled at getting people Medicare or Medicaid eligible,
whatever it may be, so they could get get paid.
And I don't have a problem with that if they're
providing the right services.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
But you're right.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
I think it was back during the General administration there
was this you know, everything got cut, everything got cut,
and mental health facilities got caught big time in the
middle of that. So you're right, yep, and probably paid
a price for that as a society to some extent.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Well, And I remember it was maybe last year the
you and the Sheriff's office had a big web press.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Conference about Federyl arrest and second degree murder charge.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
That's right, and we have we've started to see a
decrease since then. Yeah, And I remember even in the
press conference now I can't remember if it was you
were Sheriff Ward who said that we're putting our foot
down and we're not good. This is going to be
a zero tolerance right crime.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
And even in the d A's office, I can tell
you we went to a We went to a ten
year minimum sentence on possession within the ten or distribution
of Fedel products. If it had fenl it was a
you know, and the defense bar knew it. They knew
that was what we're doing. So you know, you want
to come, you want to come talk to us about
your client entering a plea litt We'll start at ten years.
Don't don't even talk to us if it's less than
(32:45):
ten years. So maybe the word who knows what resonates
out there with people that break the law. But hopefully
it all has an impact.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Well wow, okay, and then the second degree murder that's
kind of a a newer law.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Correct And in the last I don't know how long,
several years, but it's not that old.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
You're right, But do you have ways or technologies that
have advanced now to where you are able to kind
of track, Okay, this person died from an OD We're
able to track this fetanol or drug or whatever to
so and so or is that kind of more of
the law enforcement side that they're being able to say, Hey,
we've been able to officially say this person gave it
(33:27):
to them.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
You're right, like any other crime, we need evidence to
meet improve the elements of the offense. So yeah, you
have to prove that who did it, you know, and
how they did it, and to make sure that the
drug that the person we want to prosecute actually is
a drug that cause the death.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
It's not always easy.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
A lot of times people that die from an overdose
have different drugs in their system and where they got
it from it could you know, you have to have
You're right, the investigations important, the facts are important to
be able to meet that burden of proof. But the
fact that we can we can charge somebody with it
does give us leverage, you know, to we may not
get a we may not get a life sentence out
(34:06):
of it, but we may get better than a regular
distribution sentence out of it as well.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
And the lever you are about that, the more the word.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Spread there you go, I hope. So, yeah, we'd rather
we we don't want the cases. We'd rather not people
distribute drugs that are and people not overdose.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Well, and I know it doesn't immediately happen on the
prosecution side, there's a lag, that's right. So if we're
seeing twenty three overdoses this year so far and I
say that that was about a month ago, so it
maybe let's say twenty five or something, but compared to
last year's fifty something, Are you starting to see a
slowing yet in overdose cases coming to you?
Speaker 5 (34:47):
I think so. I think we are, you know, they
I think we are. I think they're I think they
are lessening, and I'm hoping the final use is declining
as well. You know, I don't think Defendol is getting
any safer.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
No.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
You know, this stuff's coming out of Mexico and it's
made in fifty five gallon drums by some guy making
six dollars an hour. You know, it's not a real
scientific uh project. I think that the product we get here.
So again, I've been preaching it for years. And if
you're gonna, if you're going to use drugs that are
bought off the street, I don't care what you're buying,
(35:23):
you know, pills, marijuana, it's just dangerous.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
You are you're literally playing a game of Russian roulette.
If you're doing that, it's just it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
So is there anything else that you'd like to discuss
that we have not talked about anything else going on
your office and your three jurisdictions.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I don't know. We have a lot going on.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
You know, we as you referenced that we we get
the files that law enforcement creates. Well, first it's created
by somebody committing a crime, you know, and then an
investigation and arrest. It's ongoing, and that's what I try
to know. We work off a volume basis. You know,
we get cases every week. Every day, we're getting in cases,
(36:09):
so we've got to We're getting in so some have
got to get out, you know, We've got to move
cases out. And uh that's why when you if you,
if you physically come and watch our courts, you know
there's a lot of discussion going on because we've got
to resolve these cases. We can't resolve them all by
picking a jury and trime in three or four days. So, uh,
you know, we've got to be efficient. We've got to
make good decisions. We've got to remember our number one
(36:32):
objective is to keep the community safe, uh, you know,
and to make victims as satisfied as we can with
the process. And hopefully that's what we do or try
to do well.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
We appreciate you coming on and taking the time out
to talk to us.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Hey, we appreciate your presence in Livingston Parish. The media
has that has changed too over the years. It is
you know, and the way it works and uh, but
you've always been there and to cover our stuff, whether
it's good or bad, you're you're there, so we realize.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I appreciate that. Thank you for joining us again. And
to our listeners, we appreciate you listening and we will
see you on the next episode of Louisiana Unfiltered.
This episode is sponsored by Deli de Boja, injury lawyers
fighting for those who've been hurt and deserve to be heard,
from crashes on the road to injuries on the job.
Our team is here to protect your rights and get results.
You focus on healing, We'll handle the rest.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Called four four four four four four to four.
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Or visit delidboja dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Responsible attorney James Pelcha betrouge.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Roadblocks it's a gaming platform with over eighty two million
daily users. Fifty six percent of those are under the
age of seventeen. Louisiana is the first state to file
a lawsuit against Roadblocks, a forty billion dollar public company,
(00:56):
for its alleged failure to provide specific sales safeguards to
keep miners safe. In this episode, I sit down with
Scott Paralleu, the longtime district attorney for the twenty first
Judicial District. It's also where this civil case will be prosecuted.
(01:16):
We also discuss the Attorney General's IKAC program and how
this program has led to positive results in law enforcement's
effort to catch online predators. We wrap up with a
discussion on the fight against Fetnohl, which is resulting in
a drop in overdose depths in Livingston Parish. I'm Karen
(01:39):
Shalla and this is Louisiana Unfiltered. Welcome back everyone. This
week we are joined by the twenty first Judicial District
(02:02):
Courts District Attorney Scott Perlieu. Thank you so much for
joining us, Thank you care good to be here, twenty
first JDC. For our listeners who don't know, that is
going to cover Livingston, tan Chapeho and Saint Alina parishes,
that's correct. And before we got started, you were telling
me what is the count of people in these three parishes?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Yeah, somewhere, you know, when you think about Livingston, I
think Livingston real numbers probably pushing one hundred and forty
five thousand, Tansibo about one hundred, one hundred and forty
one hundred and thirty five somewhere in there. So throw
in the ten thousand in Saint Alena. So we're knocking
on that three hundred thousand population in the in the
tri parish area in the twenty first. So it's a
(02:42):
big area, that's me And it's a big obviously a
big geographic area when you look at the ground that
it covers. But now population, why since since the storms
you know, over the years, Katrina and different ones, we
we've really bumped up in numbers and I like to think,
you know, we've provide a quality place uh to live
for people and uh the numbers have shown that well.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
And I think a lot of people are starting to
move away from cities and these three parishes have a
lot of rule locations.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Correct and lots and you look at Livingston has been uh,
you know, their school system has been a strength for years.
So if you're if you're young and you're looking to
start a family or have a young family and school's
issue for you, you can you can put them in
a public school here and save that that money that
you normally might pay for private school and all that
(03:36):
makes a difference. So I think I think Livingston has
has done a great job with that and the numbers
show it well.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Speaking of parents, let's kind of transition into one of
the main reasons we're talking today roadblocks. Now, I'm going
to be absolutely transparent with our listeners. I had to
school myself on what is roadblocks and I guess now
that I've learned even probably the little bit that I
do know, A big part of me is saying WHOA.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
Yeah, the more you hear, the more kind of concern
you get about it, particularly if you.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have young children.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
And yeah, and I have to confess too, I'm not
an expert on it either. The matter that the AG
filed last week in Livingston Parish is a civil case
where they're seeking seeking damages. I assume monetary damages, which
is where you you hit people, you hit companies and
people that are not doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And and uh.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Apparently they have they have failed, or at least the
AG is alleging they have failed in providing the adequate
safeguards uh two, two or four predators to have access
to young children on the internet, you know. And and
and that's a big that's a big thing these days.
I mean not just roadblocks, but in general. You know,
(04:54):
there's a lot of effort in law enforcement now to
to catch arrest predators on the internet who are doing
things that are violating the law. When you try to
physically meet and have bad intentions with someone fourteen years
fourteen years old or younger, and that's out there every day.
That's why they're arresting people every day. You know, that's bad.
(05:15):
We've got to address that and I think resources are
being committed.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
To do that.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
And I want to come back to that because Livingston
Parish has had several of these cases and they're going
through you for prosecution, yes, and just for explanation to
our listeners, because maybe not a lot of people understand
how the system works. Law enforcement makes the arrest. Right
after that arrest is made, it's coming in your division, correct,
(05:45):
and from there it goes to a prosecutor, and that
is where the law, well, the prosecuting side begins. The
court system proceedings should I say, begin staying on roadblocks.
I'm going to kind of explain this the way I
was explained it. I granted, I'm about to age myself.
(06:06):
I'm thinking a Nintendo, a Sega. I don't even think
those exist anymore. But back in the day, those were
the cool games. Now everything's on social media. So this
is an app. You can download it, you can go
to the website, you can do whatever. But once you're
in this app, it's one of those that you could
just get lost in the app alone. And in fact,
(06:27):
scot eighty two million users on a daily that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Eighty two million, that's.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Incredible, and more than fifty percent of them are under
the age of twelve.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You know, I think, I think about my own situation
I have I have grandchildren, and there I have a
three year old and two five year olds, and they
can they start early, is the point I'm making.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I mean, they have iPads that they have access.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
To, and yeah, they're watching harmless things now at two
and five years old. Even educational. There's a good side
to having access to the web and the Internet, but
they learn. My point is they learn to be tech
kind of tech savvy, savvy and efficient at a young
age and that just progresses. What's the joke out there,
if you have a problem with your phone or your computer,
go find a twelve year old or whatever to help
(07:15):
you straighten it out. And there's a lot of truth
to that. So, uh, the point is they're getting started
on this early. They're they're way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Ahead of us that are much us older people on
what we know about it. And and therein lies the danger.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Right the risk of of what's out there and when
and there are people out there, let's face it, unfortunately
with bad intentions, you know, with very bad intentions, and
and things are changing, and that's where they're going with
the technology and law enforcement uh and and the laws
in general will.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Have to keep up.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
And that's correct because the effort, the job right or
the effort right is to keep keep kids safe, keep
children safe.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Well, so it is hard, you're right.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I want to talk about some of the statistics that
we're given at the press conference last week. Twenty percent
of all of the users, and remember us at eighty
two million, they're under the age of nine, but fifty
seven percent or under the age of twelve, so that
that's huge. Yeah, twenty percent are between the ages of
nine and twelve, sixteen percent are under the age or
(08:21):
between thirteen and seventeen. Thirteen and sixteen, forty four percent
are kids seventeen year older. Your brains are not developed
these early ages.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Right, So fifty six percent of the users are very
very young. Yes, you know, So you're right exactly. And
that's you combine that with with the people out there
with evil and bad intentions, and it's a recipe for problems.
And I come in the ag for trying to do
something about it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
It's because it's only going to get worse if we
don't address it well.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
In the lawsuit was purposely filed in twenty first JDC,
which mainly in Livingston Parish because thanks to the Chris
Hansen Show partnering up with Sheriff Jason RD in Lovingston Parish,
they were able to find a case where a man
was using roadblocks to private message the kids and pretty
(09:19):
much allegedly do some illegal things with.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Yes, yeah, so it all kind of tied in perfectly
for that. But based on what you're saying, with the
statistics and from what I just have seen in the job,
it's not that hard to find that type of that
type of scenario, you know. So you know, I was
shooting fish in a barrel a little bit. But it's
(09:46):
again good that it's being addressed. Let's hope it, you know,
it does some good.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
And I want to explain what roadblocks is going back
to that. So, yes, it's the app, it's a website.
You but once you're there you can almost get lost
in it. In this you build experiences. So the example
I was saying is like I want to go in.
I'm a user and I want to build Lego Land.
I don't know, the more legos you have on your
(10:12):
back while you're playing, you climb the ladder so now
players can play my experience of Lego Land. Well, there's
nothing wrong with that one. But there are experiences such
as Escape from Epstein Island. Yeah, there's diddy Land. The
Escape for Epstein Island is trying to make players basically
(10:36):
have sex in order to get off of the island,
and then telling kids, hey, go have sex with this
person or look for someone who looks like this or
has this. A child does not need to be exposed
to these kind of things.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Not at all, and.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Therefore we need the safeguards we have. You know, if
the technology is there to do all this stuff, then
there should be technology to provide safeguards from that. So
I guess they're responsible. And apparently Roadblocks is not just
a nickel and dime operation. I was told forty billion,
forty billion dollar company, forty billion with a B. I
(11:12):
mean that's pretty serious. Certainly they they have the ability
with technology to do something about young children being having
access to things like that. I mean that that just
doesn't that's just ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Quite frankly, it is. And in comparison, what the AG
talked about, the Attorney General talked about is that TikTok
has forty thousand moderators, but in comparison, Roadblocks has three thousand. Yeah,
but you got eighty two million users.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, I can't keep up with that.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
No, right, So the purpose of the lawsuit is to
put some safeguards up because right now, you can get
on it. I can get on it. You can get
on saying you are a twelve year old girl. I
can get on it and say I'm a seventeen year
old boy. And I can go target a child and
eventually private message them and say meet me at so
(12:06):
and so place, or somehow manipulate you into sending me
vulgar photos and that's child porn or possession of child pornography,
And how do you know what my intentions are?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
That's right, that's a great point.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
And then the kids nowadays, they are they're hiding it
out from their parents. They're not telling them. And that's
why we stress it over and over. Every law enforcement
stresses it over and over. In today's day and age,
parenting in the digital world, you've got to monitor everything.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
No question about it that I was going to bring
that up.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
That's the key as a parent, if you want to
you have to be very, very vigilant and mindful about
what your children are doing on the internet and on
their phones. I mean, because the risk are there and
they're real, they are real. And again there it's one
thing if you want to say, somebody is on the
computer and they're kind of harmless, you know, they're just
a just a keyboard warrior. And but when they start,
(12:59):
when they take the next step and say, not only
am I I'm going to do this on the computer
and make this contact and do this this little song
and dance and try to impress somebody, But then they
get up and get in their car to go meet them.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yes, that's where that's where it gets.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
It gets spooky, and that's happened.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It happens.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
That's that's the basis of our cases that you're mentioning
with Chris Hansen and the computer aided solicitation is the
is the title of the law that they usually violate.
You know, they're doing on the computer. But again they're
they're taking that next step, which is to show up.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And who knows what their intentions are.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
They're yeah, you can you can assume make a pretty
good assumption probably what their intentions are.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
And they're not good in fact, in one of the
cases which to our listeners. We did do a podcast
with Chris Hansen as well as the share If he
did the interview with them. But we had a case
where it was a man from New Orleans who was
sending an uber to a child I believe in Livingston Parish,
and I think the uber driver multiple uber drivers said
(14:05):
that's the child. We're not getting involved, we're not getting involved,
and then one of them actually ended up calling law enforcement.
So we're not making these cases up.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Not at all, not at all. They're real.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
They're very real, and it's it's when you think about it,
it's very very scary, it's sad, it's it's just and
at the end of the day, it's criminal. So uh,
you know, I appreciate the fact somebody there there's there's
extra funding coming down for these ikak uh Internet Crimes
against Children units that the sheriffs are doing. I know
you're tuned in the livings to Parish, but they're doing
(14:36):
them as well in Hammond and Tankbo Parish and so
you know, I applaud wherever the funding's coming and coming
from on the grants to do this, and and it's
it's given us a lot of business. Karen has given us,
you know, things to do, not that we're looking for
anything to do, but it's it's becoming more and more
a part of every day in the office.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Well, you have been prosecuting for Quie sometime in your experience.
How much more is the online world, the computer aided solicitation,
all of the internet crimes, especially on children. How much
worse has that gotten, maybe compared to when you first
became being.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Well, it's certainly it's certainly a lot more what it
didn't even exist when I first started. But it's certainly
and again you've made reference earlier. All we really know
about in the DA's office is what the law enforcement
agencies bring to us, you know. So what's even more
concerning and scary is what is what is going on
out there that they don't know about therefore we don't
(15:37):
know about and and are we just are are we
just kind of nipping at the at the edges of
what's going on out there? I mean, we're doing everybody's
doing what they can do. But that's what's scary out there.
And therefore that's why if you're a parent, you you
know you can't you can't rely on law enforcement to
do everything, you know, protect your children. You can ask
for it and hopefully it works. But my point is
(15:58):
it's just there's out there everywhere. I mean, the way
I was, Internet's like air right is everywhere. So uh,
some of this has got to follow on parents to
be to be mindful of what their kids are doing.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
So and I don't know if you know this answer,
but I'm going to go ahead and ask. I can
go in my phone and delete a text message, so
you're not if you hold my phone, you're not going
to see that text. If a child is deleting something,
or and again excuse my ignorance on roadblocks, but if
I go in and delete something and mom and dad
don't see it, or I am now private messaging texting
(16:32):
with this guy, yeah, and I go in in my
phone and delete it. Does a parent have access or
control to where it's parental control?
Speaker 5 (16:44):
That's a good question. And I don't know if I'm
I'm qualified to answer that either, but I you know,
I think at some point decisions there are I think
there are controls. I mean, you can does a ten
year old need a full service cell phone, you know,
with internet service?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Or does a twelve year old.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
I understand you letting them have some some availability for
cell phone service for various reasons. That makes sense, But
I think I'm pretty sure there are limitations that can
be used to what's accessible and what that phone and
computer can do. So again, there are plenty of technology
(17:24):
people out there that could answer things like that, but
I'm pretty sure there are controls available.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But You're right, it's getting tougher.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
It is because, I mean, I guess I'm used to
the law side, the law enforcement side, the prosecuting side,
that even if a text is deleted through a subpoena,
through the technologies, you can recover those text messages and
they can be used against you in court.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, I asked LaToya Cantrell.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I mean, well, I wasn't going to go there, but
fifteen thousand text messages, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And it was on a Yeah that's supposed to be.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Encrypted, right, So yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Good, lesson there. Nothing ever really goes away to No, it.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Does not, but that's law enforcement can pull all. I
guess for a normal parent, your grandchild, she deletes a
not that a five year old is texting, but you
know what I mean, if she goes in and deletes
a text. How are you, as a parent or a
grandparent going to realize, wait, she just deleted a text.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
However, and again I could be wrong, but I believe
there's a way to know that. You might have to
find the right person that can figure that out, and
it doesn't have to be an FBI agent to do it.
I think some of that can be done. But I
could be wrong, But that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
So going back to roadblocks, one of the things I
was told is that for a safeguard, and obviously roadblocks,
this is not the first time and issues come up,
they've got to have been alerted multiple times that you
do not provide any safeguards for kids.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
I would think this is not even the first lawsuit
they've been on the backside of it would be my thought.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But yeah, they know.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I would think that makes perfect sense. Yeah, and it
makes sense also to hit them in the pocket book. Yeah,
if it's a monetary lawsuit, because how do you get
somebody's attention, right.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
That's that's the purpose of a civil lawsuit.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Either to get either to give damages monetary damages or
are some sort of injunctive relief, you know, get some
kind of restraining order in places, that's the real reasons
to file a civil lawsuit. So I hope it works out.
It'd be interesting. It'd be right there at our courthouse
to monitor.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So so if the AG has filed it, and she's
filed it here, they're prosecuting it.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Correct, Well, they're they're the they're representing the state that
is the plaintive.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Okay, be my thoughts.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Okay. One of the things I was going to say, though,
is that obviously Roadblocks probably realized, hey, we have an issue,
so they did put in a safeguard in a sense
of the algorithm would pick up that if a private
message is sent and saying let's say snapchat that let's
move over to snapchat, the algorithm flags that. But the
(20:08):
case that happened here in Livingston Parish, the person instead
of using snapchat or saying snapchat, I think he was
spelling it backwards. So he's saying pants, meet me in
pans or let's switch over to pants. Well you just
bypass that algorithm. Yeah, but it's like we were talking,
how do kids know? I'd be like, what is pans?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah? A twelve year old tricky.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
Yeah, it's scary too.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It is scary. It is scary.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Wow, yeah, but that's the world we're living in right now,
apparently so. But I think the object of the lawsuit is,
you know, roadblocks you're making your forty billion dollar company.
You can you can hire the engineers, you can find
ways to make this a safer product out there, you know,
to protect children.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Absolutely, So blood switch gears and talk about additional I
guess internet crimes. Livingston Parish has a lot here. They're
also heavily prosecuted and heavily arrested, and Chris Hansen has
played a big part in that. So has the the
Internet Crimes against Children the IKAC. Let's talk about that
(21:22):
as the DA I guess, tell us what you're seeing
and you're and now I'm not saying just Livingston Parish
for all three of your jurisdictions.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Well, we're seeing a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Like you mentioned earlier, we get those We get those
referrals after the Sheriff's office and the police agencies make
those arrests. So we get them and we're and that's
where the process starts.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
So we're it's.
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Every every I was every division accord, you know, we
prosecute by division. So I have an assistant DA in
every charge of every division. Those cases are in every
division right now, so they're occupying our time. And but
that's okay, that's what we're there for. I'm not complaining.
But but the numbers have definitely increased, I mean, which
(22:06):
is concerning. And again the concern not only that we
know it's increasing, but are we are we getting enough?
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You know?
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Are we are we catching tapping all the people that
are doing this? Probably not, because you could get somebody
on your show from the Eyekac unit to explain how
it really works. But I don't think it's a big
I don't think it's a big complicated effort to find
some guy out there who's who solicits is willing to
solicit online with a fourteen year old?
Speaker 2 (22:35):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
I don't think it takes very long once you put
something out there, and I don't know how you do it, thankfully,
I don't know how. But it's apparently it's not real difficult.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
It's scary. A fourteen year old is not very old.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
No, no, it's a child.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
It's a child, right, so still a child, right, still
goofy and they don't know what they're falling for. Unfortunately,
in some cases it could it couldn't cost you a life.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
And these are guys again that kind of when not
talking about people that engage in some back and forth
on the computer. We're talking about guys that actually take
that next step to get up and physically meet.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
That's the scary part. So where we are, what.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Is the sentence for crimes?
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Like the minimum morning, I can tell you is five years?
Is a five year sentence and it's a sex offense.
So they started day for day. I'll be honest, I
don't know the max. I never thought about the max.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I guess the scary part for me is if you
are convicted of it, but you can be back out
on the streets and well five.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Years yeah yeah, I mean, but you're a registered sex offender.
We hope people learn a lesson and they go to jail,
you know.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So that is very very scary.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
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zero zero seven seven. So let's switch gears. Overdoses that
has been a big, big, big problem. In fact, we
(25:26):
just had East mountin Ridge Parish sheriff said gotro on
a few weeks ago, and he was talking about how
their overdose numbers are down drastically. There are several reasons
for that, so that made us look a little bit
further into additional parishes. Livingston Parish, this is probably about
a month ago. Year to date twenty three deaths. All
(25:50):
of last year was fifty seven twenty twenty three, eighty six,
but twenty twenty two, one hundred and twenty need two
people died from overdoses. That's that's that's a lot. So
were you also starting to see that decline in overdose cases?
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Well, this is this is what we were seeing. I
think and feel certain there was an emphasis on law enforcement,
you know, and investigating fentanyl distributors, you know, getting information
on on who they thought were the big time fen
distributors within the parish. And I think the narcotics guys
would tell you if there was there was communication between
(26:32):
the corner's office and the narcotics detectives. Whenever they got
information about a big fentanyl shipment coming into this area,
uh the corner, the respective overdose numbers go up. You know,
there's a correlation there. It seems like it simple, but
you never know where the fentanyl's really al where who
(26:53):
is ending up with. But the correlation was obviously there,
So I think the emphasis got was you know, the
fennel everybody. It was getting everybody's attention, you know, law enforcement,
the corner us. So we got to do something about this.
And and I think the emphasis on enforcement stepped up
and a lot more arrests were made with fentanyl because
(27:15):
more fentanyl was coming in, and I think the emphasis
was made by law enforcement. So we started seeing cases
with with pretty significant fentanyl, either possession with intent or distribution,
Guys that were sitting on a lot of fentanyl to
put out and distribute. So I think there was an
emphasis on that just getting some people off the street prosecuting.
(27:36):
Then we had some good prosecutions of fentanel dealers, and
we've also utilized the law that makes it a second
offense murder, I'm sorry, second degree murder. If someone dies
from the drug that is illegally distributed to them in
an overdose situation, that person that distributed that drug that
(27:57):
caused the death could be arrested and prosecuted for second
degree murder, which is a mandatory life sentence. So there's
been several arrests on that. We were prosecuting several of
those and and have a bunch of those going through
the system. So my thought is, I think all that
has worked together to put the word out. Look, you've
got to be careful about using this stuff now, I mean,
(28:21):
and that's the other thing. I think there's been a
lot of education on fentanyl that this stuff's deadly. You know,
you cannot you cannot play Russian.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Roulette with it. It's deadly. And it's also not just
limited to direct fentanyl. Fentanyl.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Apparently, fentyl is very very potent. It's what a lot
of addicts they like the way it makes them feel,
and it's cheap apparently, so all that makes it accessible,
and it also opens the door for it to be
mixed laced with other crime, with other drugs. Meth, they
tell me. The narcotics guys even tell me marijuana. They're
(28:56):
finding marijuana laced with fentanyl. So just as you think, oh,
I'm using marijuana, if you're buying it off the street,
you don't know where it came from. You are, again
my Russian Roulette example, you know, or analogy you are
You're just taking your life in your hands.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
And I mean we've said this over and over. Like
you said, I think education is prime. Also or key.
Should I say that the smallest bit of fetanyel can
kill you? Yeah, you don't need a lot. And then
if you've never taken drugs before, even just a little
bit is enough to kill you.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
But the addiction problem is just it's ongoing. You know,
it's been there. When I first went into DA's office,
crack cocaine was the big drug, you know that everybody
was worried about.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
But and then it became myth, right, you know, the
cooking of the myth, the meth labs, all that is.
That transition to that myth was kind of the emphasis.
But whatever it is, addiction, I mean, addiction is real.
People have addiction issues. Mental health is real. I've come
to learn. You know, where one starts and the other one,
(30:05):
they're they're interrelated, and where one starts and the other
one ends and begins is always I don't think that's scientific.
My point is a lot of our addiction problems are
rooted in mental health problems. And a lot of people
with mental health problems know they have it. They know
they're supposed to take medicine. The medicine doesn't they don't
like the way makes them feel. Next thing, you know,
they're self medicating with drugs that they're not supposed to
(30:26):
take and they could be dangerous so and they could
have fentanyl with them and and that's it's all. There's
no there's no perfect formula for the way this happens,
but it all happens in certain ways. And we're in
the in the judicial system, we're all always trying to
clean up clean up that mess.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Right, how do we deal with it?
Speaker 5 (30:43):
You know, does that person need drug court? Which is
which is a treatment court? Uh, you know, have some
intense treatment, learn how to live with their addiction, uh,
stay within the law. Or do they need mental health treatment?
Or do they need both? And that's that's always a
tough tough and look probably every we all know families
that deal with this, and there's a lot of and
(31:04):
they struggle with it, and it's parents. Are they fight
it and fight what's you know? Is it tough love?
Do I just put them out on the street or
do I commit more resources to try to get them help?
Very real and very tough issues every day.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
And it doesn't help that we've had so many mental
health facilities that have really shut down.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Well, that's true, that is right.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
And and there's there's been, there's some private entities out
there that try to fill fill the gap on that,
and they're very good, and I got to give them credit.
They're very skilled at getting people Medicare or Medicaid eligible,
whatever it may be, so they could get get paid.
And I don't have a problem with that if they're
providing the right services.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
But you're right.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
I think it was back during the General administration there
was this you know, everything got cut, everything got cut,
and mental health facilities got caught big time in the
middle of that. So you're right, yep, and probably paid
a price for that as a society to some extent.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Well, And I remember it was maybe last year the
you and the Sheriff's office had a big web press.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Conference about Federyl arrest and second degree murder charge.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
That's right, and we have we've started to see a
decrease since then. Yeah, And I remember even in the
press conference now I can't remember if it was you
were Sheriff Ward who said that we're putting our foot
down and we're not good. This is going to be
a zero tolerance right crime.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
And even in the d A's office, I can tell
you we went to a We went to a ten
year minimum sentence on possession within the ten or distribution
of Fedel products. If it had fenl it was a
you know, and the defense bar knew it. They knew
that was what we're doing. So you know, you want
to come, you want to come talk to us about
your client entering a plea litt We'll start at ten years.
Don't don't even talk to us if it's less than
(32:45):
ten years. So maybe the word who knows what resonates
out there with people that break the law. But hopefully
it all has an impact.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Well wow, okay, and then the second degree murder that's
kind of a a newer law.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Correct And in the last I don't know how long,
several years, but it's not that old.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
You're right, But do you have ways or technologies that
have advanced now to where you are able to kind
of track, Okay, this person died from an OD We're
able to track this fetanol or drug or whatever to
so and so or is that kind of more of
the law enforcement side that they're being able to say, Hey,
we've been able to officially say this person gave it
(33:27):
to them.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
You're right, like any other crime, we need evidence to
meet improve the elements of the offense. So yeah, you
have to prove that who did it, you know, and
how they did it, and to make sure that the
drug that the person we want to prosecute actually is
a drug that cause the death.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
It's not always easy.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
A lot of times people that die from an overdose
have different drugs in their system and where they got
it from it could you know, you have to have
You're right, the investigations important, the facts are important to
be able to meet that burden of proof. But the
fact that we can we can charge somebody with it
does give us leverage, you know, to we may not
get a we may not get a life sentence out
(34:06):
of it, but we may get better than a regular
distribution sentence out of it as well.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
And the lever you are about that, the more the word.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Spread there you go, I hope. So, yeah, we'd rather
we we don't want the cases. We'd rather not people
distribute drugs that are and people not overdose.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Well, and I know it doesn't immediately happen on the
prosecution side, there's a lag, that's right. So if we're
seeing twenty three overdoses this year so far and I
say that that was about a month ago, so it
maybe let's say twenty five or something, but compared to
last year's fifty something, Are you starting to see a
slowing yet in overdose cases coming to you?
Speaker 5 (34:47):
I think so. I think we are, you know, they
I think we are. I think they're I think they
are lessening, and I'm hoping the final use is declining
as well. You know, I don't think Defendol is getting
any safer.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
No.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
You know, this stuff's coming out of Mexico and it's
made in fifty five gallon drums by some guy making
six dollars an hour. You know, it's not a real
scientific uh project. I think that the product we get here.
So again, I've been preaching it for years. And if
you're gonna, if you're going to use drugs that are
bought off the street, I don't care what you're buying,
(35:23):
you know, pills, marijuana, it's just dangerous.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
You are you're literally playing a game of Russian roulette.
If you're doing that, it's just it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
So is there anything else that you'd like to discuss
that we have not talked about anything else going on
your office and your three jurisdictions.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
I don't know. We have a lot going on.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
You know, we as you referenced that we we get
the files that law enforcement creates. Well, first it's created
by somebody committing a crime, you know, and then an
investigation and arrest. It's ongoing, and that's what I try
to know. We work off a volume basis. You know,
we get cases every week. Every day, we're getting in cases,
(36:09):
so we've got to We're getting in so some have
got to get out, you know, We've got to move
cases out. And uh that's why when you if you,
if you physically come and watch our courts, you know
there's a lot of discussion going on because we've got
to resolve these cases. We can't resolve them all by
picking a jury and trime in three or four days. So, uh,
you know, we've got to be efficient. We've got to
make good decisions. We've got to remember our number one
(36:32):
objective is to keep the community safe, uh, you know,
and to make victims as satisfied as we can with
the process. And hopefully that's what we do or try
to do well.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
We appreciate you coming on and taking the time out
to talk to us.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Hey, we appreciate your presence in Livingston Parish. The media
has that has changed too over the years. It is
you know, and the way it works and uh, but
you've always been there and to cover our stuff, whether
it's good or bad, you're you're there, so we realize.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I appreciate that. Thank you for joining us again. And
to our listeners, we appreciate you listening and we will
see you on the next episode of Louisiana Unfiltered.
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