Attorney General Liz Murrill announced that the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) arrested a Slidell man on 500 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material Under the Age of Thirteen.

The suspect, 47-year-old John Matthew Barber of Slidell, was identified during a proactive investigation involving the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through an online peer-to-peer network.

During the investigation, agents determined Barber downloaded hundreds of files containing prepubescent CSAM to file storage devices at his residence in Slidell.

On August 5, 2026, Barber was arrested on the following charge:

• Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material Under the Age of Thirteen (500 counts)

The arrest was the result of a joint investigation involving the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the 22nd Judicial District Court Special Victims Unit Task Force, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, the Covington Police Department, the Slidell Police Department, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office.

Barber was arrested at a residence on Sgt. Alfred Drive in Slidell and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail.

Bond information is unknown at this time.

The investigation remains ongoing.

*All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.