Abita Springs Man Indicted for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “NEW ORLEANS – RAYMOND T. KNESEL (“KNESEL”) , age 60, of Abita Springs, Louisiana was indicted on October 9, 2026, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the indictment, between September 24, 2026, and September 28, 2026, KNESEL persuaded and enticed an individual he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female to engage in illegal and illicit sexual activity. If convicted, KNESEL faces a mandatory minimum of ten (10) years and up to a lifetime in prison, at least five (5) years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. KNESEL may also be required to register as a sex offender. U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Anne Flippo of the Public Integrity Unit and Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force is in charge of the prosecution. This case was brought 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to ”