Man accused of sex crimes in Louisiana

One man in Louisiana was recently convicted of committing sex crimes. His sex crimes include attempting to have sex with a child and sending sexual messages. The man was sentenced to two decades behind prison bars and must also pay a fine as a result of his criminal activity.

An investigation performed by multiple agencies allegedly produced evidence that the 52-year-old man had sent both sexual videos and messages to preteen girls. These are girls whom he friended on the social media site Facebook. Police said the man also tried to have sex with a minor, which is considered a felony in the second degree.

In addition to having to spend 20 years in prison, the man must pay a $10,000 fine. The prosecutor said it appeared that the jury was trying to send the defendant the message that he would have been given an even harsher sentence if it were possible. The man was previously charged with soliciting a minor online, but these cases ended up being dismissed due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning freedom of speech.

When a person in Louisiana is accused of engaging in sex crimes, the charges have to be proved in court beyond a reasonable doubt; otherwise, no conviction can occur. Instead of going to court, a defendant may decide to pursue negotiations for a plea deal with prosecutors, which might lead to a lighter sentence for him or her. In either event, the criminal defense will push for a result that is in the accused person’s best interests.

Source: chron.com, “Man dubbed ‘person you warn your kids about’ gets 20 years for enticing kids on Facebook“, Carol Christian, Feb. 12, 2016