St. Landry, LA (2/23/2023) – Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office reported on January 11, 2023, the EPSO Criminal Investigations Division, with the assistance of Hearts of Hope, opened an investigation about a possible indecent behavior with a juvenile complaint.
During the investigation, it was discovered that on multiple occasions, the suspect resided in St. Landry was having conversations with a 14-year-old victim which were sexual.
Detectives also determined that the conversations led to the suspect secretly meeting with the victim, where inappropriate physical activities occurred.
Adrian Joseph Merrell, 30, was arrested and charged with One Count of Sexual Battery, One Count of Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile, One Count of Computer Aided Solicitation of a Minor, and One Count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile.
Merrell is currently being held in the Evangeline Parish Jail with a $150,000.00.
This investigation is still ongoing.
Sheriff Charles R. Guillory and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office aew always seeking information on criminal activity and urge the public to contact their Investigation Department via phone at 337-363-2161 or through the agency’s website at www.evangelineparishsheriff.org. Any person reporting information will remain anonymous.
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A law enforcement-related agency has provided this information as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal “Allen persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” or arrested and charged with a crime have not been convicted of any criminal offense. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
