ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 17, 2000

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish authorities have arrested a LaPlaceman and charged him with sexually molesting his 16-year-old stepdaughter.

According to Capt. Mike Tregre, the victim claimed her stepfather molestedher twice, once in January and again in May.

The man, whose name is being withheld by the newspaper in order to protect the victim, has been charged with two counts of molestation of a juvenile and one count of oral sexual battery of the victim.

Tregre said the girl was scared to come forward with the accusation at first.

“She said she was afraid it would break up her family,” said Tregre.

However, the girl went to her pastor last Tuesday and told him the story. Heurged her to go to the police, and on June 14 the sheriff’s office took her complaint and arrested the girl’s stepfather.

When the suspect was taken to headquarters he confessed to the crime, Tregre said. He was booked and put in jail, where he is under a $100,000 bondset by District Judge Madeline Jasmin.

Upon further investigation, deputies discovered this was the second arrest for the suspect on the same charge. In 1995 the man was charged withmolesting his stepdaughter. The police don’t know how the earlier case wasdisposed, but the suspect was booked as a repeat offender.

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