Louisiana man charged with over 500 sex crimes, plea deal reached

A Louisiana man who once resided in Pineville was charged with over 500 counts of sex crimes in 2013. As part of a plea agreement, he entered a guilty plea to 12 of those specific sex crimes. As a result of his guilty plea and the terms of his plea bargain, he will now spend a significant amount of time in jail. He was officially sentenced to nine 35 year terms and three 20 year terms in prison and could be eligible to be paroled at age 72.

Some of the specific crimes with which he was charged include sexual battery to a person under the age of 13, rape, child pornography and incest. The charges came after an extensive investigation concerning the Louisiana resident and another individual (a woman). The woman was brought to the attention of local law enforcement when a family member spotted an inappropriate picture of a child on her computer. Further inquiry revealed that she and the now convicted man were passing pornographic images of children between the two of them.

The woman has been charged with rape, sexual battery, child pornography and other offenses. Her case is still pending, and it is not clear if she has been offered a plea agreement. It is within her rights to proceed to trial and force the prosecution to attempt to prove the accusations made against her.

Sex crimes are serious and some of the most abhorred types of crime. However, anyone accused of a crime has the right to a defense and due process. While the burden of proof remains on the prosecution, the defendant will have every reasonable chance to contest the charges, challenge the evidence and pursue an outcome that is in his or her best interests.

Source: The Republic, “Former Pineville man pleads guilty to 12 sex offenses in plea bargain; sentenced to 35 years”, , May 16, 2014