Former Child Sex Crimes Cop — Accused Serial Offender — Lands Back in Jail Over Social Media Violations
A disgraced former detective, once tasked with hunting child sex offenders, is back behind bars — again.
Stanley Burkhardt, 74, who has spent years in and out of prison after admitting to molesting minors during his career with Louisiana law enforcement — and even being investigated as a potential serial killer — was arrested in New Orleans on July 15.
According to court records, Burkhardt allegedly violated strict parole rules by using social media in 2019 to leave sexually suggestive comments under photos of young men.
The charges resurface an earlier case that had gone unresolved when Burkhardt was sent for intensive treatment at a federal prison in North Carolina — a facility specifically for individuals deemed "sexually dangerous." After his conditional release in August 2024, Louisiana prosecutors reignited the six-year-old case, leading to his latest incarceration.
Burkhardt had recently been working as a clerk at Robért Fresh Market in New Orleans, but court documents confirm he's now unemployed and being held without bond. On Tuesday, he appeared in court in shackles and an orange jumpsuit, where Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas scheduled a bond hearing for August 19.
His attorney, public defender Tessa Silverman, declined to comment.
Burkhardt’s fall from grace is as shocking as it is disturbing. Once seen as a crusading cop in the 1970s and 1980s, he was ultimately convicted of sending child sexual abuse material to undercover agents. Later, he admitted to possessing more child abuse imagery and sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl who was related to him by marriage.
Federal prosecutors, aiming to keep him locked up indefinitely, used a law allowing lifelong detention for those deemed sexually dangerous. In 2011, a judge ruled he fit that profile, sending him to Butner, a federal facility in North Carolina. Four years later, Judge James Dever granted him conditional release — a controversial move, given his record.
But in 2019, Louisiana State Police found Burkhardt had violated his release terms by creating an unapproved email and username to interact with photos of young people on a picture-sharing site. His alleged password was “boyz4me!” and he communicated with addresses like "boys6to12" and "lovelyyoungpp".
He also allegedly tried to hide his sex offender status by removing a special stamp from his driver’s license while applying for a job at a New Orleans casino.
Though prosecutors dropped that case after he was sent back to Butner, he was released again in April 2024 to a halfway house, then let go in August 2024 under tight restrictions. These included staying at least 100 feet from places frequented by children and avoiding dating or hookup websites.
Despite these conditions, disturbing ties between Burkhardt and unsolved crimes continue to surface.
The investigative podcast New Orleans Unsolved has dug into possible links between Burkhardt and several teen murders, including the drowning of a youth he allegedly confessed to killing, the strangulation deaths of three teens, and sex abuse cases connected to a Boy Scout troop that led to multiple convictions.
When questioned in court, Burkhardt denied involvement in any murders. And though state police reopened investigations, they testified he wasn’t officially considered a suspect in the teen killings.
However, in an early 2024 podcast episode, host Anna Christie revealed that after Burkhardt’s latest release, an account — likely linked to him — liked videos related to episodes about his alleged connections. The account’s username contained obscure details that only Burkhardt himself would recognize.
When asked if he wanted to connect, the account replied: “Thinking and praying about it.”
Christie’s former co-host, veteran journalist Thanh Truong, later reported seeing Burkhardt at church, where he said Burkhardt confessed he was trying to contact Christie.
Christie reached out and offered to meet in a public space, but Burkhardt responded that he was “still in prayer regarding conversation.”
This interaction raised questions about whether the account itself violated parole conditions.
According to the terms of Burkhardt’s August 2024 release, he is strictly forbidden from creating or using any online accounts — including email, social media, or cloud storage — unless explicitly approved by his supervising officers.
Following his July arrest, Burkhardt now faces:
One charge of improper use or access of social media by a sex offender
Two charges of failing to register information required of sex offenders.
He has pleaded not guilty, but each charge could carry up to 10 years in prison under Louisiana law.