Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry joined federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to announce the results of Operation Home School, a three-day operation.
Special agents of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit received a tip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 16.
The report contained information regarding images of child pornography being uploaded to a social media network called MeWe. The account was linked to a user in Okaloosa County.
The information was provided to OCSO officials and an investigation was initiated by the OCSO Internet Crimes Against Children unit, according to the news release.
The victims depicted in the images appeared to range in age from about six to 15.
Ard was taken into custody at his home on Ibis Way on April 30 after OCSO investigators served a search warrant and an arrest warrant.