A Patterson man has been convicted of child sex crimes for the third time.
Arthur Donald Lacoste Jr., 56, was convicted by a St. Mary Parish jury of sexual batter and indecent behavior with a juvenile.
A release from the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office states that the jury unanimously convicted Lacoste. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Reasoner prosecuted the case with assistance from Heather Hendrix.
The jury decided Lacost committed inappropriate sexual conduct with a juvenile victim he had befriended. The conduct occurred over a period of several years until 2020, when the victim reported the abuse to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office.
Lacoste is a registered sex offender. In 1998, he was convicted of multiple counts of Molestation of a Juvenile and Sexual Battery involving more than one victim. In 2004, Lacoste was convicted of Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile.
A sentencing hearing is set before the Honorable Keith R.J. Comeaux on July 5, 2023.
He faces up to 10 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on the battery charge, and up to seven years, with or without hard labor, on the indecent behavior charge.
However, Louisiana has special sentencing provisions for serial sexual offenders which require that serial sexual predators be sentenced to life imprisonment, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Lacoste is a third felony sex offender and would be eligible for those special sentencing provisions.
