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On last week, an Ascension Parish Jury found Eric Harris of 719 E Hamilton St. Gonzales, LA., age 40, guilty of 3^rd Degree Rape. Harris was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Cody Martin.

          On September 12, 2015, a female subject appeared at the Gonzales Police Department and advised that she had been raped. Detectives interviewed the victim who advised that she made contact with a male subject known to her as “Big E” at a Gonzales hotel. The victim advised that upon making contact with “Big E” inside his hotel room, she was sexually assaulted. Detectives were able to identify “Big E” as Eric Harris and were able to confirm that Eric Harris had rented the room which the victim advised the assault occurred. The victim identified Eric Harris through a photo line-up as the individual who had assaulted her. Detectives obtained a warrant of arrest for Harris who was subsequently arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.

          Upon the jury rendering a guilty verdict in this matter, sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence investigation.

 Submitted by Public Information Officer Tyler Cavalier for 23^rd Judicial District Attorney Ricky L. Babin.