The future changes dramatically for Louisiana defendants labeled as sexual predators. Legal punishments are severe when a person is convicted of a sexual offense, but penalties don’t stop there. Inclusion in a sex offender registry can cause lifelong devastation to a defendant’s professional and personal life.
A 22-year-old Baton Rouge man was jailed on charges that he raped a woman during a date. The alleged victim told authorities she met the man through Tinder, a mobile dating application. The woman stated the defendant raped her during the pair’s first meeting.
Tinder allows registered social media users to view profiles of other users. Connections are based on whether users “like” one another. The woman told investigators she and the accused man traded “likes” and agreed to meet in her apartment.
Police were told the couple sat on a couch and talked but later moved to a bedroom and kissed. That’s when the woman said the encounter got out of control. She alleged the man slapped her, tore at her clothes and pulled off her shorts while ignoring pleas for him to stop.
Following the rape, the man reportedly ordered the woman to erase text messages the two had shared. He apparently also forced the woman to take a bath as he watched and later warned the victim not to talk about what happened. He allegedly said the woman should “pretend” the sex never happened and denied rape.
The woman’s allegations led to a quick arrest. The man was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of forcible rape. Bail was set at $35,000.
Statements made by an alleged victim and the accused are often the only sources of evidence in a rape case, with no physical proof or witnesses to support the claims. The public’s sensitivity toward sexual assault guarantees aggressive prosecution. Defendants must counter with an equally vigorous criminal defense.
Source: The Advocate, “Man booked on rape after Tinder app date” Ben Wallace, Jul. 28, 2014
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