A grand jury returned a four-count true bill indictment today, charging a St. John the Baptist Parish judge with multiple counts of felony sexual assault.

According to the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, the grand jury returned three felony counts of indecent behavior and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery against 40th Judicial District Court Division “B” Judge E. Jeffrey Perilloux.

Perilloux told L’OBSERVATEUR he was not making any detailed comments at this point, adding he had not reviewed the information presented to the grand jury.

Perilloux deferred additional comment to his attorney, David Courcelle.

Courcelle told L’OBSERVATEUR, “Judge Perilloux maintains that he has done nothing improper and that he will vigorously defend himself against these allegations.”

Courcelle said he and his client are looking forward to reviewing the “alleged evidence” against Perilloux and preparing the judge’s defense.

According to the AG’s office, authorities are waiting on the warrant to be signed. Once that happens, Perilloux is expected to turn himself in to police for arrest.

Perilloux has been “on leave” from the bench since voluntarily stepping down May 16 following published accounts of multiple criminal investigations into his behavior with underage females.

Judge Mary Hotard Becnel was appointed ad hoc and is handling the duties of Division B during Perilloux’s leave.

Becnel’s term was scheduled to last through June and could extend because of this week’s developments from the grand jury.

Perilloux’s legal status has been tenuous since news broke in May about criminal investigations by at least two law enforcement agencies into allegations of improper sexual advances made toward underage females.

Authorities with Louisiana State Police and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida have interviewed numerous teenage girls, some of who are friends of Perilloux’s daughter, and received complaints from at least two individuals who said Perilloux inappropriately touched them.

Perilloux “categorically” denies the allegations.

“I will spend every nickel that I have to defend myself and my family on these allegations,” he said six weeks ago. “I am not a wealthy man, but I will spend every penny that I have to defend (myself) from these allegations.”

The investigations are at least 11 months old, as Okaloosa authorities said they were first notified July 15, 2017, of a criminal complaint.

Officials with Okaloosa County have maintained their evidence collecting and witness interviewing is complete and a decision on charges is tied to moves that first need to be made by authorities in Louisiana.

An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said today the Louisiana grand jury’s move was separate from their investigation.

How and why the investigations in two states are linked has not been shared publicly by any of the agencies.

The New Orleans Advocate last month published sourced details from a Louisiana State Police investigation detailing a 15-year-old’s claim that Perilloux slid his fingers inside her bathing suit bottom during a Florida vacation and inappropriately stroked her breasts in separate incidents that took place last summer in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Perilloux was elected judge in December 2016 and began serving the following month after capturing 55 percent of the turnout to defeat a runoff challenge from attorney Nghana Lewis Gauff.

The election was necessary to fill the unexpired term of departing Judge Becnel.

The 40th Judicial District Court covers St. John the Baptist Parish and is divided into three divisions — A, B and C — one judge presiding in each division.

The general jurisdiction court hears civil, criminal, traffic, juvenile, family and probate matters.

Perilloux was elected to Division B, Judge Madeline Jasmine to Division A and Judge J. Sterling Snowdy to Division C.