09 Aug Raceland Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Child Sexual Abuse and Possession of Child Pornography
Lafourche Parish District Attorney Kristine Russell announced that James Griffin Jr., 61, of Raceland, pled guilty to three counts of Sexual Battery of a Victim Under 13 and one count of Pornography Involving Juveniles.
As part of a negotiated plea by Chief of Trials Jason Chatagnier, Griffin was sentenced to 50 years for each count of sexual battery and 10 years for the child pornography charge. The sentences will run concurrently, and will be served without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The Honorable Marla Abel presided over the court.
Griffin was arrested following reports from a pre-teen victim of sexual abuse. During the investigation, a second pre-teen victim was identified, and child pornography was found in Griffin’s possession. Griffin eventually confessed to the crimes during an interview with law enforcement.
“These cases are deeply disturbing to any decent human being,” said Chief of Trials Jason Chatagnier. “This plea agreement effectively ensures that Griffin will spend the rest of his life behind bars, sparing the young victims from the potential trauma of recounting their experiences in court.”
Chatagnier continued, “We hope this resolution brings some peace and allows the victims to heal and move forward with their lives.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the crimes, no further details will be released.