A southwest Louisiana man who was arrested in July and again this month on allegations of abusing children is said to have been working as a teacher and a deacon at a Baptist church according to KPLC.

According to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, they started an investigation into Andrew Guidry on July 22 after complaints came in about the man. They arrested him on two counts of Sexual Battery on a victim below the age of 15.

When he was arrested he was booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail on July 24, and his bond was set at $100,000.

Then during the month of August, another victim came forward claiming they were harmed. Guidry was arrested by Beauregard Sheriff’s detectives on August 5 for another Sexual Battery count. The Sheriff says the person was in charge at the time the incident happened.

KPLC then continued to investigate the 32-year-old man to discover that Guidry was a teacher at Beauregard High School between the years of 2022 and 2024. School officials say they do not believe that the victims involved in these crimes were students at the school. Checking other records they found that for six days at some point Guidry was a substitute teacher at

It was also discovered that Guidry was a deacon at Dry Creek Baptist Creek. Their Senior Pastor Charlie Bailey says Guidry is suspended from a leadership position within in the church while the authorities are continuing to investigate this man.

At the beginning of the case, and continuing now, officials with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office are asking anyone who might have been a victim to call them at 337-463-3281.

Guidry is currently being held in jail on a $50,000 bond after the latest victim has come forward.

As far as members of Dry Creek Baptist Church, Bailey says he does not think any of the victims were at the church in a related function but he also says that anyone who knows something should report it to law enforcement or talk to a church elder.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This is a developing story, and the KPEL News Team is working to provide additional coverage for Acadiana. Updates will be shared as they become available, so download the KPEL News app via Google Play or in the App Store and subscribe to breaking news alerts to get the latest information sent directly to your mobile device.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – With football season approaching, teams across the country are preparing for game day, but here in the South, one of the biggest concerns for any athlete is the heat.

This year, temperatures in Cenla have consistently been in the 90s and above, creating a dangerous obstacle for teams to tackle.

KALB’s Julia Keller learned more about how to keep student-athletes hydrated and how to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

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Copyright 2024 KALB. All rights reserved.

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A former Louisiana state trooper argues that the state government owes him more than $200,000 in attorneys fees he spent defending himself against criminal charges related to his time on the force.

Former Trooper Jacob Brown racked up a $210,813.40 legal fee after hiring lawyers to defend him, according to a complaint filed in the 19th Judicial District earlier this month.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Brown, who patrolled in north Louisiana, was involved in 23 use-of-force incident between 2015 and 2021. Nineteen of those incidents targeted Black people, the AP reported.

In one case involving the violent arrest of a Black motorist, Brown told fellow troopers “it warms my heart knowing we could educate that young man.”

In 2021, he resigned after being arrested for hitting a Black man 18 times in the head with a flashlight. Last year, a federal jury acquitted Brown of violating the civil rights of the man. The incident, captured on video, left the man with a broken jaw and ribs. Brown said the blows were used as “pain compliance” as he tried to detain the motorist, the AP reported.

A state charge brought against Brown in the 5th Judicial District tied to yet another matter was also dismissed, according to Brown’s lawsuit.

Attorney Russell Woodard Jr. represents Brown. In the lawsuit seeking reimbursement, Woodard cites state law which allows for law enforcement officers to collect reimbursement for attorney fees in criminal cases where the crime occurred while the suspect was working on behalf of the state and the incident did not end with a conviction.

The law also requires that the officer be “acting in good faith” at the time.

Brown attorney says his client was indeed acting in good faith during the incidents that landed him in court.

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