---
category: Organized Crime
summary: John Reed Campbell was an artist and child abuser who fled after his conviction
  in New Orleans.
tags:
- Person
- OrganizedCrime
---

John Reed Campbell was an artist and child abuser who fled after his conviction in New Orleans. He was connected to the boy prostitution ring involving [Troop 137](/organizations/troop-137/). Campbell's activities included abusing boys and participating in the production of child pornography. His case highlighted corruption in the prosecution under [Harry Connick](/people/harry-connick/).[^1]

### Criminal Activities
John Reed Campbell abused boys in connection with [Troop 137](/organizations/troop-137/) leaders [Richard Halvorsen](/people/richard-halvorsen/), [Raymond Woodall](/people/raymond-woodall/), and [Robert Lang](/people/robert-lang/) in New Orleans. He was involved in the ring that used the scout troop to procure minors for sex and films. Campbell's actions were part of a broader network that distributed child pornography through connections to [John David Norman](/people/john-david-norman/)'s operations. The ring exploited boys under the guise of scouting activities.[^1]

### Legal Outcome
John Reed Campbell was arrested in 1977 for child abuse related to the [Troop 137](/organizations/troop-137/) ring. He was convicted in 1978 and sentenced to 10 years at hard labor. Campbell fled before serving his full sentence. His case involved testimony that implicated [Harry Connick](/people/harry-connick/) in receiving sexual favors from the boys. Campbell published a book titled *Walk with the Devil* detailing his experiences and the corruption in the prosecution.[^1]

### Connections
John Reed Campbell connected to [Richard Halvorsen](/people/richard-halvorsen/), [Raymond Woodall](/people/raymond-woodall/), and [Robert Lang](/people/robert-lang/) through the [Troop 137](/organizations/troop-137/) boy prostitution ring in New Orleans. The ring's activities included trafficking boys to Florida under false scholarships via [Peter Bradford](/people/peter-bradford/)'s [Adelphi Academies](/organizations/adelphi-academies/). Campbell's case was prosecuted by [Harry Connick](/people/harry-connick/), who faced allegations of cover-up based on witness testimony. His book 'Walk with the Devil' exposed details of the corruption and the involvement of local authorities in protecting the network.[^1]

[^1]: Dovey, S. (2023). Eye of the Chickenhawk. United States: Thehotstar.