Update: Sheriff: Boy, 3, victim of inappropriate touching
Published 1:35 pm Wednesday, June 17, 2015
RESERVE — A Reserve man confessed to authorities this week he engaged in inappropriate touching with a 3-year-old boy, Sheriff Mike Tregre said.
Rodney Loya
According to Tregre, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a LaPlace-area church Tuesday following a report of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
“The three-year-old victim told his mother that Rodney Loya exposed himself and made the boy touch him,” Tregre said, adding the mother of the 3-year-old male victim and Loya went to their church in reference to the incident.
Church officials notified the Sheriff’s Office, Tregre said, adding Loya, 36, of East 26th Street in Reserve confessed to investigators.
“The incident occurred Sunday at Loya’s residence when the victim and his mother were visiting her boyfriend at the residence,” Tregre said.
Sgt. Dane Clement said Loya and the boyfriend of the victim’s mother lived together.
Loya was arrested and booked with indecent behavior with a juvenile.
As of press time Friday morning, he remained in custody in lieu of a $30,000 bond set by Judge Madeline Jasmine.
Loya has been arrested five times in St. John Parish since April 1997, authorities said, adding he was arrested in September 1997 for indecent behavior with a juvenile and molestation of a juvenile.
Tregre said Loya served time in prison for the prior charges, but because of changing laws may not have been required to be registered as a sex offender.
