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Man sentenced to life in prison in rape case

Fight over district’s racial makeup back at appeals court
Posted at 8:00 PM, Dec 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-15 21:00:15-05

16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhé said Wednesday that Emeterio Rivera, convicted of two counts of First Degree Rape and one count of Sexual Battery of a Victim Under the Age of 13 on April 9, 2021, was sentenced to life imprisonment this week.

After the child disclosed the abuse, the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office investigated the case. At the trial, expert witnesses from the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory and the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory testified that the defendant's DNA was consistent with DNA recovered from a rape kit and from the child's bedroom.

Today, December 15, 2021, Rivera was sentenced for those convictions by Judge Keith Comeaux as follows:

• First Degree Rape (count 1)—life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence

• First Degree Rape (count 2)—life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence

• Sexual Battery of a Child Under the Age of 13—30 years at hard labor, with the first 25 years to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence

All of the sentences are to be served concurrently.

Assistant District Attorney Alister Charrier prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant District Attorneys Cynthia Spadoni and Ashley Hammons.

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