BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A 24-year-old Bossier City man who is already behind bars on child molestation charges is facing a string of new charges after investigators say he admitted having sex with several youths and distributing child pornography , and try to sell the children to have sex with other adults for money.
Joshua Acosta, 24, was originally arrested on Jan. 31 after detectives raided his Village Lane home and confiscated his electronics following a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team. He then admitted to downloading and sharing multiple child sexual abuse videos and images and was charged with two counts of pornography involving youth.
According to the Bossier Township Sheriff’s Office, detectives uncovered 830 more images showing child sexual abuse during a forensic examination of Acosta’s cellphone. They also found a conversation he had with one of his teenage victims who said the two met on a web-based Internet platform and began a sexual relationship when the victim was 15 years old.
The victim said Acosta also asked him about nude pictures, which he sent through a web-based website. He said Acosta videotaped some of their sexual encounters and paid for the sexual relationship either in cash or electronic devices.
Investigators believe Acosta also put a 16-year-old from Oregon into an online relationship with him, in which they shared sexual images and videos of each other. According to police, Acosta then lured the youth to his home in Louisiana, where he raped the victim.
In addition, investigators say Acosta confessed to having more than 20 sexual encounters with the victim. Acosta told investigators he recorded three of the encounters and distributed the videos to about 30 people online.
Investigators say Acosta even attempted to solicit money from other adults who were seeking sexual encounters with the youths by setting them up with the teens. However, he said no encounters had taken place.
Acosta allegedly told detectives he had at least five teenage victims in the Bossier Township area and could provide partial information about the victims.
- 2 counts of child sex trafficking – $400,000 bail
- 20 Cases of a Youth’s Carnal Knowledge – $50,000 Loan
- 30 counts of child pornography distribution – $250,000 bail
- 3 counts of child pornography production – $250,000 bail
- 1 count by Computer Aided Solicitation – $350,000 bond
- 1 Count of Computerized Prompt – $150,000 Bond
- 1 count of second degree rape – $350,000 bail
- 830 cases of pornography involving adolescents – $1,200,000
“Detectives from the Bossier Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate child sexual abuse cases with the ICAC team, the Attorney General’s Office and the help of the latest technology,” BPSO said in a statement on the arrest.
They encourage anyone with information regarding this crime or other crimes against children to contact the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318) 965-2203.
