AN airman and Qanon follower who lost a Republican race for Congress in November has been charged with child pornography.
Ben Gibson, 34, was booked on Wednesday morning for allegedly engaging in pornography involving minors under the age of 13, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Gibson ran as a Republican in the November 3 election against Rep Mike Johnson, for the seat of Louisiana‘s 4th Congressional District.
The 34-year-old, an active Airman at Barksdale Air Force Base, garnered just 6.3 percent of votes, and came in last behind Democrats Kenny Houston and Ryan Trundle.
Gibson has repeatedly made references to Qanon on Facebook, using hashtags popular with the movement on both his personal and campaign accounts.
The Qanon conspiracy alleges that President Donald Trump is secretly battling a Satanic group of child-eating Democrat pedophiles and that “Q,” a military intelligence officer, is leaking details about the fight online.
According to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the arrest was a result of a joint investigation with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit, the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and multiple other agencies.
After the news of Gibson’s arrest, Attorney General Jeff Landry tweeted, “We will CONTINUE doing ALL that we can to protect Louisiana children. #lalege#lagov.”
“My office is committed to using every tool we have to protect Louisiana’s children,” Landry said in a statement on Thursday.
“We will continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal partners to bring child predators to justice.”
In a statement to WGNO, the Barksdale Air Force Base said Gibson was removed from his recruiting duties.
“We hold our airmen to the highest standards and will be working with the Attorney General’s office and the Office of Special Investigation and local law enforcement during this investigation.”