Tag: child abuse

Week in Review: Heavy prison sentences, guilty verdicts handed down

Here’s a look at happenings in Jefferson Parish’s 24th Judicial District Court this week.

 

Tomas Juan Cruz guilty of sexually abusing a child

A Jefferson Parish jury on Thursday evening (June 11) found Tomas Juan Cruz guilty of sexually abusing a 3 ½-year-old child in Metairie more than 15 years ago.

Cruz, 55, formerly of Metairie, was convicted as charged of two counts of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Sections opened its investigation into Cruz in March 2023, after receiving information from investigators in Texas indicating that Cruz sexually abused the victim when visiting Metairie during the summer of 2010. The victim woke from sleep to discover the abuse underway.

In 2023, the victim, then aged 16, disclosed what Cruz had done to a friend. The victim’s father learned of it soon after and notified authorities in Montgomery County, Texas, where they resided.

The victim underwent an interview by a trained forensic interviewer at a children’s advocacy center in Texas before the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified. An arrest warrant here was obtained a month later.

Two years passed before Cruz was arrested. When questioned by a Jefferson Parish detective, Cruz immediately asserted his innocence when the only question before him was where he resided.

Cruz denied it and accused the victim’s father of conspiring with the teen to falsely accuse him of committing crimes. His attorney argued that the state did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and the victim’s memory was flawed.

Jurors deliberated for about 2 ½ hours before returning with its verdict. Judge Danyelle Taylor of the 24th Judicial District Court set sentencing for June 22.

Assistant District Attorneys Cullen Kiker and Taylor Somerville prosecuted the case.

 

Charles Wilson sentenced for child sexual abuse

A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (June 10) sentenced Charles Wilson to 145 years in prison for his conviction of molesting a teenager.

Wilson, 60, of Harvey, touched the 12-year-old child numerous times with his hands and mouth in his home. It continued until the child’s mother discovered more than 30 images in his cell phone of the child in various stages of undress.

She notified the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in October 2023, when the child was aged 13.

A jury on May 20 convicted Wilson of molestation of a juvenile under age 13, pornography of a juvenile under age 13, pornography involving juveniles, obstruction of justice and molestation of a juvenile.

On Wednesday, Judge Shayna Beevers Morvant sentenced Wilson to:

  • 60 years for molestation of a juvenile under age 13;
  • 45 years for pornography of a juvenile under age 13;
  • 20 years for pornography involving juveniles;
  • 20 years for obstruction of justice, and;
  • 20 years for molestation of a juvenile.

Judge Beevers Morvant ran the sentences on counts one through four consecutively, or back-to-back, and count five concurrently to the others.

Assistant District Attorneys Brendan Bowen and Jenny Voss prosecuted the case.

 

Eugene Caffrey convicted of gun charge

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday night (June 10) deliberated 14 minutes in finding Eugene Caffrey guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Caffrey, 42, of Waggaman, is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his previous convictions in Jefferson Parish of possessing cocaine.

Westwego Police Department officers found a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol under the driver’s seat of his car during a traffic stop. The officers determined that he was illegally possessing the pistol because of his past convictions.

In addition to the narcotics convictions, Caffrey was previously convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and he pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in 2008 and 2018.

Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court set sentencing for June 24.

Assistant District Attorneys Brooke Harris and Leo Aaron prosecuted the case.

 

Jarrell Jones sentenced to life terms for murder

A Jefferson Parish judge on Monday (June 8) sentenced Jarrell Jones to back-to-back life sentences plus another 60 years in prison for his conviction of murdering his grandfather and another man before setting their home on fire.

Jones, 37, was convicted last month of the first-degree murders of his grandfather Larry Brown, 70, and Shelton Martin, 60. Jones fatally stabbed the men in Brown’s home in the 2000 block of Gladstone Drive in Marrero in June 2020. Between them, the victims suffered 68 stab wounds, 47 of which were inflicted upon Brown.

Click here to read about the trial.

Jones additionally was convicted of simple arson, for starting fires inside the residence after he stabbed the men; obstruction of justice for tampering with evidence; and theft of a motor vehicle, for stealing Brown’s Chevrolet Trailblazer.

On Monday, Judge June Berry Darensburg sentenced Jones to two life sentences in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence, 40 years for obstruction of justice, 15 years for simple arson and five years for theft of a motor vehicle.

Judge Darensburg ran the sentences consecutively.

Assistant District Attorneys Zach Grate, Brendan Bowen and Alexandra Herman prosecuted the case.

 

Michael Pampas sentenced to life in prison for raping 12-year-old child

A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (May 27) sentenced Michael Pampas to life in prison for his conviction of raping a 12-year-old he contacted using a social media app before eventually videorecording himself as he sexually abused the child.

Pampas, 31, of Harvey, was convicted last week of first-degree rape of a juvenile under age 13, indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13 and production of pornography involving a child under age 13.

He met the child during a swimming party at an apartment complex in Kenner in 2024. Members of the child’s family notified police in August 2024 after learning of Pampas’ recording of an inappropriate sexual call through Snapchat.

As the investigation unfolded, detectives learned that Pampas used his cell phone to videorecord himself sexually abusing the child. He saved the video on Google Drive. These acts are the basis for the first-degree rape and pornography convictions.

He also recorded two video calls with the child that were sexual in nature, leading to the indecent behavior conviction.

The victim’s grandmother, in victim-impact testimony Wednesday, said the child faces “many years of therapy,” and must live with the memory of Pampas’ abuse for life. “It will never, ever, ever go away,” she said. “The experience, it will never go away. The thought of what happened will always be there.

“I want the book thrown at him,” she said in asking for the maximum sentences. “I want him to suffer every day. I don’t want him to ever see the light of day. I never want him to hurt anyone else.”

The punishment for first-degree rape in Louisiana is life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Judge Nancy Miller of the 24th Judicial District Court noted that she has no discretion in deviating from that punishment. “And if I did, I’m not sure I would exercise it,” she said.

“I must say, to be subjected to watch the video that you made was particularly disturbing for me,” Judge Miller told Pampas. “And unfortunately, I knew what was coming. I knew there was a video.

“Those 14 people that sat there, that had to watch that, they came to do their jury service,” Judge Miller said of the 12 jurors and two alternates who sat through the trial. “They came to do their civic duty because they are good citizens of this parish. And little did they know they would be watching an actual video-taped rape of a 12-year-old. They’re affected by your actions as well, and they will be forever changed as well.”

In addition to the life sentence for the rape, Judge Miller sentenced Pampas to 20 years for indecent behavior and 50 years for the child pornography conviction, both to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. She ran the sentences concurrently.

Pampas also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, the judge ordered.

Assistant District Attorneys Mallory Grefer and Erich Cathey prosecuted the case.

Juries return guilty verdicts in two child sex abuse cases

Jefferson Parish juries returned with guilty verdicts this week in unrelated child sexual abuse cases.

Michael Pampas

On Thursday (May 21), Michael Pampas, 31, of Harvey, was convicted as charged of first-degree rape of a juvenile under age 13, indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13 and production of pornography involving a child under age 13.

Pampas was 29 years old when he began communicating through Snapchat with a 12-year-old child he met during a swimming party at a Kenner apartment complex. Members of the victim’s family learned of Pampas’ lascivious overtures directed at the child and contacted the police in August 2024.

The Kenner Police Department and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation that followed yielded evidence showing that Pampas also video recorded himself sexually abusing the child, and he recorded two additional video calls that were sexual in nature. He arranged for the child to travel to and from his residence through a ride-sharing service.

The video he recorded underlies the first-degree rape and production of child pornography charges. His sharing a separate video of himself masturbating is the basis for the indecent behavior charge.

When questioned by a detective, Pampas pointed blame at the victim. At trial, his attorney urged jurors to consider lesser charges, or “responsive verdicts,” telling them that first-degree rape carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

The prosecution promptly urged jurors to reject the defense request.

“What those responsive verdicts do is give him a break, a break he does not deserve,” Assistant District Attorney Erich Cathey told jurors Thursday in closing argument.

Judge Nancy Miller of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Pampas on Wednesday (May 27).

Assistant District Attorneys Mallory Grefer and Erich Cathey prosecuted the case.

Charles P. Wilson Jr.

On Wednesday (May 20), Charles P. Wilson Jr., 60, of Harvey, was convicted as charged of molestation of a juvenile under age 13, pornography of a juvenile under age 13, pornography involving juveniles, obstruction of justice and molestation of a juvenile.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office began its investigation in October 2023, after the mother reported finding sexually explicit photographs of her 13-year-old child in Wilson’s cell phone. The mother found more than 30 images of the child in various states of undress.

Detectives learned that, in addition to taking photographs, Wilson inappropriately touched the child numerous times with his hands and mouth while in his home in Harvey, beginning when the child was 12 years old and ending when the mother called 911.

Judge Shayna Beevers Morvant of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Wilson on June 8.

Assistant District Attorneys Brendan Bowen and Jenny Voss prosecuted the case.

 

Convicted of sexually abusing a child, Holiver Figueroa of Gretna sentenced to life plus 166 years

A Jefferson Parish judge on Friday (May 1) sentenced Holiver Figueroa to life plus 166 years in prison for his conviction of sexually abusing a child during a 6-year period. 

Figueroa, 38, was a Gretna resident when he abused the child, who was about 9 years old when he began grooming the victim with overtures of love.  

“This man was a father figure to that child for many, many years, until he was not,” Assistant District Attorney Joan Benge told jurors in opening statements on April 13. “He is a classic child predator.” 

The victim initially disclosed the abuse at Figueroa’s hands to a classmate but insisted that the classmate keep it a secret. The abuse finally came to light in March 2022. The victim, then aged 15, was visiting family in Hammond and began sleep-talking about being abused. 

Another teen at the sleepover used a mobile device to obtain an audio recording of the chatter, initially thinking it was humorous. Then the gravity of what was being said became apparent. 

Upon hearing it, the victim’s father brought the audio recording to the Gretna Police Department. Fearing other children could be in harm’s way, police immediately went to Figueroa’s home at 1 a.m., on March 22, 2022. Figueroa, who also used the name Oliver Domenguez, was arrested. 

The victim disclosed the abuse that began at age 9 or 10, with the last incident occurring just days before police were notified. Figueroa’s seminal DNA was recovered from the child’s bed sheets. 

Detectives also discovered hidden files in Figueroa’s cell phone, in which he stored as many as 1,500 nude images many involving the victim and a video of the defendant sexually abusing the child.   

In testimony at his trial, Figueroa accused the victim of lying and fabricating the rape assertions. 

On April 16, after hearing three days of testimony, jurors found Figueroa guilty as charged of first-degree rape, third-degree rape, sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13, indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13, sexual battery and indecent behavior with a juvenile. 

During Friday’s sentencing hearing, 24th Judicial District Court Judge Donald “Chick” Foret denied a defense motion for a new trial and said he found the state’s witnesses to be “very credible.” Of Figueroa, Judge Foret said, “He had no tears for anybody until he got convicted.” 

Life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence is the mandatory punishment for first-degree rape under Louisiana law. Judge Foret also sentenced Figueroa to the maximum sentences for the other convictions: 

  • 25 years for third-degree rape, for the abuse that occurred when the victim was between the ages of 13 and 15; 
  • 99 years for sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13; 
  • 25 years for indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13; 
  • 10 years for sexual battery of a juvenile for the abuse that occurred when the victim was between the ages of 13 and 15, and; 
  • Seven years for indecent behavior with a juvenile, for the abuse that occurred when the victim was between the ages of 13 and 15. 

Judge Foret then ran the sentences consecutively, or back-to-back, for a total of 166 years on top of the life sentence. 

“If I could give you more years, I would give you more years,” Foret told Figueroa. 

Additionally, Figueroa must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and is prohibited from contacting the victim forever. 

Assistant District Attorneys LaShanda Webb and Joan Benge prosecuted the case. 

Lance Green of Kenner guilty of sexually abusing two children

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday night (March 25) found Lance M. Green guilty of sexually abusing two children in Kenner.

Green, 42, of Kenner, was convicted as charged of one count of first-degree rape, two counts of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13.

Green, who was acquainted with both children, used “fear and intimidation” to control both victims, Assistant District Attorney Zach Grate told jurors Wednesday in closing argument. “This is why we call people like Lance Green ‘predators,” ADA Grate argued.

The Kenner Police Department opened the investigation in May 2020, after a 13-year-old victim revealed sexual abuse at Green’s hands for about one year. Green had babysat the victim. The victim realized after watching educational videos at school that what had been done to her was sexual abuse and informed a family member, who then brought the child to a hospital in Kenner.

Green was convicted of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and Indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13 for abusing this victim.

Following his arrest for abusing that victim, a 19-year-old victim disclosed sexual abuse by Green when aged 11 to 12. Green groomed the child by touching and progressed in severity over time, culminating with rape.

In connection with this victim, Green was convicted of first-degree rape, sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13.

The investigation uncovered evidence showing that Green searched the internet for pornography that included rape themes and minors.

Green denied abusing the children. His attorney argued that one of the victim’s accusations was inaccurate and the other’s accusations lacked credibility. Green also denied searching the internet for rape-themed pornography. His attorney argued that malware was responsible for the internet search evidence.

The jury deliberated about two hours before reaching its unanimous verdicts. Judge June Berry Darensburg of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Green on April 20. Green faces a mandatory life sentence in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for the first-degree rape charge.

Assistant District Attorneys Zach Grate and Cullen Kiker prosecuted the case.

Convicted of raping child, Mark Albarado Jr. sentenced to life in prison

A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (Feb. 4) sentenced Mark Albarado Jr. to life in prison for his conviction of raping a juvenile.

Albarado, 50, of Marrero, was convicted by a jury on Jan. 14 of first-degree rape of a juvenile under age 13 and sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13.

“Mark, you will never be able to harm another child again,” the victim’s mother told Albarado in victim-impact testimony Wednesday.

At age 11, the victim initially disclosed the abuse to two step-siblings in March 2022, after one of the step-siblings watched a video about abuse. The victim disclosed that the abuse by Albarado occurred during the previous six years.

The victim’s mother learned of it the following day and notified the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. During the investigation, DNA tied to Albarado’s lineage was found on a pair of the victim’s undergarment.

The victim said the first instance of abuse occurred at a campground in Tangipahoa Parish, and the remaining incidents happened at a Marrero residence. Albarado denied abusing the child.

For the first-degree rape, Judge Lee Faulkner of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Albarado to a mandatory life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. For sexual battery, Judge Faulkner sentenced Albarado to 25 years in prison. The judge ran the sentences concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Theresa King and Erich Cathey prosecuted the case.

NOTE: This report was updated on Feb. 11, 2026, to specify that the defendant is Mark Albarado Jr.

 

Former Grand Isle councilman Elgene Gary Sr. gets 45-year sentence for molesting girls

A Jefferson Parish judge on Monday (June 16) sentenced former Grand Isle town councilman Elgene Gary Sr. to 45 years in prison for his conviction of molesting two juvenile girls on the barrier island. He abused one of the victims decades ago, when she was a child.

Gary, 81, who also was a Grand Isle policeman and member of the port commission, was convicted by a jury on May 29 of three counts of sexual battery. Two of the counts involve the same victim, one for before her 13th birthday and one after.

Click here to read about the trial.

Louisiana State Police opened the investigation in October 2021, after one of the victims, then 16, reported that Gary began molesting her beginning when she was 7 years old.

The investigation led a 40-year-old woman to come forward in January 2022, saying Gary abused her, too, on one occasion when she was between 7 and 10 years old. Additionally, the jurors who convicted Gary at trial heard testimony from another adult woman who said he abused her, too, in Michigan when she was a child.

The victim whose complaint led to Gary’s conviction told the court in victim-impact testimony on Monday that, “I’ve lived not even 20 years, and so much of them have been filled with a lot of difficulties.”

“It’s still hard to look into the mirror, because if I look too long, I see someone who was very young and didn’t know what was happening,” she said of being sexually abused as a child. “I’m so sorry for her and sorry for everyone else who has ever met him. It’s going to take a long time to not hate myself for not knowing sooner. It wasn’t my fault, I know that.”

She asked that Gary received the maximum punishment.

Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Gary to 25 years for sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and 10 years for each of the two sexual battery charges. She ran the sentences consecutively, for a total of 45 years.

To the victim who provided impact testimony Monday, Judge Kovach said she’s “an extremely brave woman” who “put an end to what other women have experienced.”

The judge acknowledged that the victim asked for the maximum sentence. “Given that he is (81) years old and has numerous health issues, I believe this is a life sentence,” Judge Kovach told her.

Gary also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He also is barred from having any contact with his victims for 100 years.

Assistant District Attorneys Erich Cathey and Brooke Harris prosecuted the case.

Week roundup: In unrelated child sex abuse cases, Kenner man gets 30-year sentence, Metairie man convicted

One man was sentenced to prison and another was convicted on Thursday (June 12) for sexually abusing children in unrelated cases filed in Jefferson Parish’s 24th Judicial District Court.

 

Oscar Reyes

Oscar Reyes, 63, of Kenner, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his conviction of sexually abusing a 9-year-old child.

Reyes was convicted by a jury on May 15 of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13. Reyes was not a stranger to the child.

The victim’s mother reported the abuse to the Kenner Police Department in September 2021, after her child disclosed Reyes’ abusive behavior when the child was between the ages of 7 and 9.

The victim further disclosed Reyes’ acts during a forensic medical examination at the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (now named the Morgan Rae Center for Hope at Manning Family Children’s), and to a forensic interviewer at the Jefferson Children’s Advocacy Center. Kenner police arrested Reyes in October 2021.

Jurors deliberated for more than four hours before reaching their unanimous verdicts on May 15. Judge Danyelle Taylor sentenced Reyes to 30 years for the sexual battery charge and 10 years for the indecent behavior with a juvenile charge. Judge Taylor ran the sentences concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Cullen Kiker and Kristen Landrieu prosecuted the case.

 

Thomas L. Smith

Thomas L. Smith, 42, of Marrero, was convicted by a jury of sexual battery of a child under age 13 and indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13. Smith was not a stranger to the child.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office opened its investigation on May 10, 2022, after receiving a call from West Jefferson Medical Center concerning allegations raised by a 12-year-old who said Smith had abused the child. The child’s mother sought medical attention after learning of the abuse.

The child underwent a forensic interview at the Jefferson Children’s Advocacy Center in May 2022, then a medical examination at the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (now named the Morgan Rae Center for Hope at Manning Family Children’s) in October 2022. The child’s statements in both places were consistent with what was disclosed to a detective.

The detective obtained an arrest warrant on June 14, 2022. He was arrested on March 3. 2023.

Judge Shayna Beevers Morvant set sentencing for June 30.

Assistant District Attorneys Brendan Bowen and Mallory Grefer prosecuted the case.

Elgene Gary Sr., Grand Isle politico and ex-cop, convicted of molesting 2 girls on the barrier island

A Jefferson Parish jury on Thursday night (May 29) found Elgene Gary Sr. guilty of molesting two juveniles on Grand Isle, including a woman he abused when she was a child almost four decades ago.

Gary, 81, a former elected member of the Grand Isle town council, a former member of its police department and a former member of the Grand Isle Port Commission, was convicted as charged of three counts of sexual battery. In addition to hearing testimony from the two victims, jurors heard from a woman who said he abused her as a child in Michigan more than three decades ago.

“Elgene Gary’s decades of deviant destruction are over,” Assistant District Attorney Erich Cathey told jurors in closing argument Thursday in urging them to find the defendant guilty.

Two of the sexual battery charges for which Gary was convicted involve the same victim, one for before she was 13 years of age and one after her 13th birthday (under Louisiana law, abusing a victim under age 13 carries more severe penalties).

That victim initially confided in her childhood best friend, who encouraged her to report it. That led her to then tell a caretaker.

She felt safe to report the abuse to law enforcement only after she was forced to leave Grand Isle when Hurricane Ida devastated the barrier island in August 2021. She reported it in Baton Rouge to the Louisiana State Police, whose Special Victims Unit opened the investigation in October 2021.

Then aged 16, the victim disclosed that Gary molested her beginning when she was 7 years old and continued to do so until she was 15. He told her to “be quiet,” and “this is our secret” as he abused her. When she resisted, he’d tell her, “Don’t you love me?” At times, she hid when Gary was near.

She underwent forensic interviews at the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (renamed the Morgan Rae Center for Hope at Manning Family Children’s hospital), and the Children’s Advocacy Services in Denham Springs.

The State Police investigation led to a 40-year-old woman coming forward in January 2022. She disclosed that Gary molested her on one occasion when she was between the ages of 7 and 10, between 1988 and 1991. Gary stopped only because her brother woke up. For that, Gary was convicted of the third count of sexual battery.

Jurors also heard testimony from a woman who said Gary abused her in Michigan in 1993, when she was 10 years old. Gary was visiting Michigan on a hunting trip at the time. Gary has not been charged in Michigan. Her testimony was allowed to be presented to the Jefferson Parish jury to show Gary’s lustful disposition toward children.

“They deserved to be believed, and they deserve justice,” Assistant District Attorney Brooke Harris told jurors Thursday in closing argument.

Gary denied the charges. His attorney argued that the state’s witnesses gave inconsistent testimony. The attorney also told jurors that detectives did not thoroughly investigate the accusations.

Rebutting the defense argument, Assistant DA Cathey told jurors that any perceived inconsistencies were “minor.” The victims “were consistent each and every time on what this man, Elgene Gary Sr., did to both of them,” he said.

The jury deliberated just over five hours to find Gary guilty of all three charges.

Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Gary on June 16.

Assistant District Attorneys Erich Cathey and Brooke Harris prosecuted the case.

 

Thomas Welty guilty of drugging, sexually abusing, trafficking teen girls

A Jefferson Parish jury on Tuesday evening (May 20) found Thomas Welty guilty of sexually abusing two teenage girls after giving them illegal narcotics.

Welty, 46, formerly of Metairie, was convicted as charged of second-degree rape and trafficking of children for sexual purposes involving one victim; and, of indecent behavior with a juvenile, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and sexual battery involving the other victim.

Both victims were aged 15 when Welty began abusing them between 2019 and 2021. Welty provided highly addictive methamphetamine to one of the victims and the “date rape” drug GHB to the other.

“He used narcotics as a mechanism for control,” Assistant District Attorney Erich Cathey told jurors in closing argument Tuesday. “He used methamphetamine and GHB to control his victims.”

Welty began abusing one of the victims during 2019 Carnival season, when he provided her with alcohol in the French Quarter, leading her to pass out. He brought her to his home in Metairie, where he injected her with methamphetamine – her first experience with the narcotic. After raping her, Welty allowed two drug-dealing associates to do the same in exchange for narcotics (they have never been identified).

The victim developed an addiction to methamphetamine, which he provided to her as he continued to rape her. The victim’s grandmother learned of Welty and notified the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in July 2020, when she was 16 years old. The victim also disclosed the abuse later that year to a school counselor, who in turn notified the school resource officer. The victim went into rehabilitation to beat the addiction.

Welty gave GHB to the other victim in July 2020. The victim passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was in the shower with Welty. She rebuffed his sexual advances and departed the following morning. She had been acquainted with Welty since January 2019.

“Welty was grooming her,” Assistant District Attorney LaShanda Webb told jurors Tuesday. Groomers, she said, “are strategically taking their time to study who they want to attack.”

In testimony Tuesday, Welty denied the charges, although he admitted to sexual activity with the first victim. But he accused her of lying about her age. With the second victim, he told jurors he found her in his bed, and she had vomited. He carried her to the bathroom and left her there. His attorney told jurors that there is no physical evidence. Welty has three convictions of possession of ketamine and possession with intent to distribute ketamine, jurors heard.

Jurors who were selected on Thursday deliberated for three hours before returning with their verdicts.

Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach of the 24th Judicial District Court set sentencing for June 12.

Assistant District Attorneys Erich Cathey and LaShanda Webb prosecuted the case.