LAFAYETTE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Defending Childhood), published as received.

LAFAYETTE – On September 10, 2026, United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks sentenced Christopher Michael Ahlers, 54, of Abbeville, to 360 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty on May 11, 2026, to Production of Child Pornography. On the same day, Judge Hicks also sentenced Shannon David Miller, 52, of Broussard, to 97 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty on May 13, 2026, to Possession of Child Pornography.

“Partnering with state and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute child sex predators is one of this Office’s most sacred and core missions,”  said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “There is sadly no undoing the harm that this vile conduct causes, and the cases we prosecute unfortunately reach as far as minor children’s homes and schools, with people they trust preying upon them. But the case against Mr. Ahlers shows the same thing as other recent cases we’ve prosecuted against teachers, parents, and pastors: we will never relent in our effort to remove these predators from our society, and we will find them no matter where they are.”  

Ahlers

According to court documents, the investigation into Ahlers began on May 31, 2025, when deputies with the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office (VPSO) were contacted by Ahlers’s wife, who had discovered a concealed recording device in the ceiling of a bathroom inside their residence. The device contained multiple recordings of her two minor children. Ahlers was arrested on June 4, 2025, on related state charges. After being released on bond, evidence showed Ahlers attempted to hide additional evidence by asking an acquaintance to hold an external hard drive for him.  Instead, the acquaintance turned the device over to law enforcement at which time investigators discovered approximately 90 illicit videos involving one of Ahlers’s minor stepchildren. Investigators determined that Ahlers had retained these recordings for several years.

Miller

According to court documents, Miller became known to federal authorities in October 2025 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued a cybertip regarding the possible possession and distribution of illegal child‑exploitation material linked to a Google account. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) identified Miller as the user associated with the  uploads. Investigators reviewed two videos referenced in the cybertip and discovered they contained illicit content. Agents then obtained a search warrant for Miller’s residence at which time multiple digital devices were seized. Forensic examiners identified more than 1,000 graphic videos involving prepubescent children. Miller admitted he had been accessing illegal content for approximately 20 years and possessed roughly 100 gigabytes of illicit video files stored on several devices.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

HSI, LBI, and VPSO conducted the investigations. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Bordelon with assistance from Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more  at  https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.

You may find a copy of this press releases (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Numbers 6:25 cr 00255 (Ahlers) and 6:25 cr 00317 (Miller).

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