November 21, 2023: 16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhé announces that:
On May 4, 2023, after a multi-day trial, a St. Mary Parish jury unanimously convicted Arthur Donald Lacoste, Jr., 56, of Patterson of Sexual Battery and Indecent Behavior with a
Juvenile.
The conviction stems from inappropriate sexual conduct with a juvenile victim whom Lacoste befriended. The inappropriate conduct occurred over a period of several years and
continued until 2020 when the victim made a report to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the complaint and subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Lacoste.
The maximum sentence for Sexual Battery is ten years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence and the maximum sentence of Indecent
Behavior with a Juvenile is seven years at hard labor.
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 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.
Accordingly, the District Attorney’s Office filed a serial sex offender bill of information seeking to impose those special sentencing provisions in this case. A hearing was held before the Honorable Keith R.J. Comeaux on November 16, 2023. Judge Comeaux found that Lacoste was a serial sexual offender and, for his Sexual Battery conviction, sentenced Lacoste to life imprisonment without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. For Lacoste’s Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile conviction, Judge Comeaux sentenced Lacoste to a second term of life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. Judge Comeaux ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Reasoner prosecuted the case with assistance