Tag: Kenner police deparrtment

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.

Sherneskie Bell guilty of possessing child pornography

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday (July 13) found Sherneskie Bell guilty as charged of possession of pornography involving juveniles under age 13.

Bell, 62, of Kenner, downloaded about 2,700 images, videos and GIFs to his mobile phone over a period of months in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office concluded. The images included children as young as 3 years old.

The Kenner Police Department opened the investigation of Bell in October 2018, following an argument he had with his teenage girlfriend after she heard that he had nude photographs of her on his mobile phone.

She fled to her home with the phone, unlocked it and discovered the pornographic images involving juveniles. Her sister promptly brought the phone to the Kenner Police Department.

Detectives also found a notebook in his apartment in which he listed pornographic websites and search terms for search engines. Bell wrote of marrying girls as young as 12 years old.

In testimony on Wednesday, Bell told jurors that his girlfriend stole his mobile phone and downloaded the pornographic images to frame him. He also asserted that his coworkers sometimes used his phone. Bell also suggested that his girlfriend and her sister manipulated data in his mobile phone to show the images were downloaded over a period of months.

In rebuttal, the prosecution team provided expert testimony from the Sheriff’s Office’s Digital Forensic Unit, showing that it would have been impossible for Bell’s ex-girlfriend to have the expertise to manipulate the download dates in a matter of hours to show the images were obtained over a period of months.

The jury, which was seated on Tuesday, deliberated about 45 minutes in reaching its unanimous verdict. Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Bell on Aug. 10.

Assistant District Attorneys Blaine Moncrief and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted the case.