12/12/2025
Louisiana.
A man using the alias “Chef Joney” on social media has been arrested for violating s*x offender registration requirements.
John Rutherford, 47, was convicted on Oct. 12, 2011, of indecent behavior with juveniles and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles by engaging in s*xually immoral acts. As a result, he was classified as a Tier 1 s*x offender, which is considered the least severe category.
Tier 1 offenders must remain on the s*x offender registry for 15 years, compared to Tier 2 (25 years) and Tier 3 (lifetime).
Registered s*x offenders are required to make a range of personal information publicly available online, including their name, photo, addresses, and even vehicles they drive.
They must also follow strict rules, such as not living within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, or childcare facilities, and avoiding places where children are typically present. Offenders who use social media are required to disclose their s*x offender status on those accounts.
Investigators say Rutherford violated that requirement by allegedly maintaining seven different social media accounts without registering them, with each account representing a separate violation.
According to officials, Rutherford operated as “Chef Joney” on social media for several years.
UWK uncovered that he had accounts on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, as well as other platforms.
UWK has learned Rutherford met with law enforcement and admitted he used social media but had not registered the accounts through the s*x offender monitoring system.
He is also accused of deleting all social media apps from his phone before that meeting.
As “Chef Joney,” Rutherford reportedly participated in several cooking events and public appearances, including the Chef’s Choice Cookoff in August 2025, a gumbo cookoff in Berwick, various horse shows, and the Madisonville Social Media Meet & Greet, where he reportedly sold lemonade.
He is also scheduled to appear at another social media meet-and-greet event in Baton Rouge on Dec. 13, 2025.
Rutherford was arrested on Dec. 2, 2025 for failure to register his social media accounts. He has since bonded out.
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