TERREBONNE PARISH, La. — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the arrest of a Chauvin man facing multiple serious charges involving child sexual abuse material and alleged sexual abuse of an animal.
According to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI), 32-year-old Joel Lyons Jr. was arrested following an investigation sparked by multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Agents say the tips indicated Lyons had distributed child sexual abuse material through social media applications.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant, and on April 28, 2026, Lyons was located in Galliano and taken into custody. He was initially booked at the South Lafourche Substation before being transferred to the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex.
Lyons is facing the following charges:
20 counts of Child Sexual Abuse Material involving victims under the age of 13 (Distribution)
14 counts of Sexual Abuse of an Animal
Authorities say the arrest was the result of a joint investigation involving multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, Port Fourchon Harbor Police, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Bond has been set at $225,000.
The investigation remains ongoing.
