A former cruise line employee has been sentenced in New Orleans for possession of child sexual abuse material. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Reza Heta Pratama, a 29-year-old citizen of Indonesia, received a 48-month prison sentence on September 9, 2025. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion.
Pratama’s arrest took place in July 2024 at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans after special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations found him in possession of child pornography.
Judge Papillion imposed a sentence that includes four years of imprisonment, followed by ten years of supervised release. Pratama was also ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and an additional $100 payment under 18 U.S.C. § 2259A. Restitution is to be paid to all victims, with a restitution hearing scheduled for November 4, 2025.
“These cases were 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov,” according to the statement from officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledged support from both Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection during this case’s investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Reed from the Violent Crimes/Strike Force Unit is handling prosecution.
