Louisiana Man Found Guilty of Molesting His Girlfriend's Daughter; Had Several Prior Convictions

Miami Standard (St. Tammany Parish, LA) – A Louisiana man with a prior conviction for child sexual assault was found guilty of molesting his girlfriend’s young daughter.

Lawrence Burt, 48, was found guilty of indecent behaviour with a youngster on Friday, March 28. He now faces two to 25 years in jail, according to a news statement from the Louisiana District Attorney’s Office.

According to trial testimony, deputies from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a Pearl River residence in March 2022 “in reference to a sexual abuse complaint.”

Deputies arrived at the apartment and met with a lady who said her 8-year-old daughter had been inappropriately handled by her boyfriend, according to the release.

According to the Louisiana District Attorney’s Office, the youngster told a forensic interviewer that Burt would sneak into her bedroom at night and “fuss” at her if she tried to lock her bedroom door.

She also stated that she was terrified to notify her mother about the abuse for fear that Burt would kill her and their family.

According to the agency, an arrest warrant was eventually filed for Burt, who was later found in a local apartment complex. The United States Marshals Service provided aid to authorities.

While Burt originally rejected the claims during an interview, he did admit to avoiding police after learning of the arrest warrant, according to authorities.

The office stated that Burt was previously convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl when he was 31 years old. He has also had two convictions for failing to register as a convicted sex offender, as well as one for stealing.

The District Attorney’s office has announced that the most recent case will be sentenced in May.