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ST. JAMES PARISH, La. – In a significant development stemming from a collaborative multi-agency sexual assault investigation, 58-year-old Randy Nicholas of Pensacola, FL, has entered a guilty plea to charges of forcible rape. The plea was entered on February 21, 2024, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, leading to a 25-year sentence.

Nicholas, residing at 12 Milton Rd., was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon, with the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets presiding over the case. The investigation that led to Nicholas’s guilty plea began in March 2021, when St. James Parish Sheriff’s Detectives were alerted by counterparts at the Escambia County Florida Sheriff’s Office. The Florida detectives had uncovered evidence of a rape that occurred in St. James Parish while investigating a separate case. Following this lead, detectives interviewed the alleged victim and secured an arrest warrant for Nicholas, who was then arrested and booked into the St. James Parish Jail.

Nicholas is also facing similar charges in Escambia County, Florida, highlighting the cross-jurisdictional nature of the offenses he is accused of committing. As part of the plea agreement, Nicholas has been sentenced to serve 25 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections, with credit given for time already served. Following his release, he will be required to register and notify authorities as a sex offender or child predator for life, a stipulation that underscores the severity of his crime and the enduring impact on the community.