Louisiana Priest Arrested for 500 Counts of Child Pornography

Felix Broussard © Louisiana State Police

A Catholic priest from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana was arrested and subsequently released on bail for possessing a large quantity of child pornography.

The Rev. Father Felix Broussard, pastor of St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge, was arrested on Wednesday by Louisiana State Police on 500 counts of possession of child pornography.

Broussard was released on a $25,000 bond, according to the Associated Press.

Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of the Diocese of Lafayette said that Broussard was “immediately” placed on administrative leave by the diocese pending the criminal investigation.

“If he’s guilty, he needs to follow the penalties of the state for what was done,” Deshotel said at a Wednesday press conference. “Then there are also ecclesiastical steps, church steps, that have to be taken with regard to his future ministry, and, whether or not that’s possible.”

Broussard, 50, has served as pastor at St. Bernard for two years and has been ordained as a priest for 23.

The bishop said that there was no previous indication that Broussard had problems involving child pornography or sexual abuse.

“Never any complaints to any of us from anyone. In fact he was a much loved pastor, the irony is a very loved man in the parish,” Deshotel said, according to The Advocate. “No complaints have been made that anything physical or any kind of physical abuse occurred.”

The priest was arrested after the Texas State Police’s Special Victims Unit received a complaint earlier this month that a computer Father Felix David Broussard had primary access to contained images indicative of child pornography.

More than 500 images of suspected child pornography were identified on the computer, according to State Police.

In a statement, the Diocese said that it takes the allegations very seriously and is fully cooperating with the investigation.

“Bishop Deshotel and staff are providing pastoral care to the congregation of Saint Bernard Parish in Breaux Bridge, and will preach at all Masses at Saint Bernard Parish this weekend. The prayers of the diocesan community are requested,” the statement said.

While Deshotel said that Broussard is innocent until proven otherwise, he pointed out that taking immediate action was necessary because of the lessons learned by the church and other institutions that serve the public.

“Transparency, informing the public and taking immediate action once something is known are lessons that we and other institutions, public schools, the Boy Scouts — all of those have learned over the years that this is how this is addressed,” Deshotel said.  “So that’s the modus operandi we use.”

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Texas Teacher Who 'Got Pregnant' With 13-year-old Student Charged With Child Sex Abuse

Police had issued a warrant for the arrest of the 24-year-old English teacher

Andrew Buncombe New York 

English teacher Alexandria Vera has been charged with child sex abuse Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

A Texan teacher who went on the run after becoming pregnant following an alleged relationship with a 13-year-old pupil, has handed herself in and been charged with child abuse.

English teacher Alexandria Vera, 24, turned herself over to police after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said she turned herself in on Wednesday morning in the town of Conroe, and that she was charged before being released on a bond of $100,000.

"She turned herself in, in the company of a bail agent. Bail has been provided and she has just left," Lt Brady Fitzgerald of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office told The Independent.


The relationship between Ms Vera and the boy allegedly began when he was a student of hers

Reports said that the relationship between Ms Vera and the boy began when he was a student of hers in summer school last year at Stovall Middle School.

The relationship apparently had the blessing of the boy’s family, according to court documents. Ms Vera told police she initially resisted the advances of a boy who was assigned to her English class at the start of the school year.

But according to the court documents, a school police officer said Ms Vera had admitted to having a relationship with the student which lasted from September 2015 to the end of January 2016, during which they “had sex on almost a daily basis”.



Ms Vera claimed she and the teenager were in love, and that has been introduced to his family as his girlfriend. The boy’s parents have reportedly accepted the relationship and have including her in family gatherings.

The court documents said that the teacher allegedly became pregnant with the boy’s baby in January, and his family was said to be excited and supportive about the baby, ABC News reported.

But after an unexpected visit to the school by Child Protective Services in February, when Ms Vera and the boy were questioned about their relationship, she reportedly became nervous and terminated the pregnancy. She reportedly has a 4-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Aldine Independent School District issued a statement that claimed it had been quick to act.

“Aldine ISD has been made aware that charges have been filed against a former Stovall Middle School teacher involved in inappropriate behaviour with a male student. When the allegation was made in April, the teacher was immediately removed from the school and placed on administrative leave,” it said.