A Louisiana man faces 10 years in prison for transporting a Mississippi teen across state lines for sex.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, 28-year-old Ronald Latiolais III met a Monroe County teenager online and began chatting with her using an online application.
In April of 2019, Latiolais drove from Louisiana to the Magnolia State to meet the 13-year-old girl. During their conversations, the minor revealed to Latiolais that she was underage.
Despite knowing she was underage, Latiolais went to the teen’s house during the middle of the night, cut the screen on the minor’s bedroom window, and escaped undetected with the teen.
Latiolais admitted to committing sexual acts with the minor during a stop on the drive across state lines. The minor was recovered at Latiolais’ house the next day.
After the March 2022 trial of this case, a jury found Latiolais guilty of transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity, a charge requiring a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The suspect has remained in jail since August 2022. Upon release from prison, Latiolais will remain on supervised release for five years and must register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation with assistance from local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker S. King and Julie Addison prosecuted the case.