La. trooper placed on leave after sex-related arrest while attending out-of-state conference

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana State Police has placed one of its troopers on administrative leave after he was arrested for an alleged sex crime while attending a conference in South Dakota.

Kirk Thibodeaux, 44, of Port Allen, was arrested for allegedly hiring for sexual activity, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

The South Dakota sheriff’s office reports that the incident happened at a hotel in Rapid City, SD, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and it was reported later that morning around 3 a.m.

LSP announced Wednesday, Sept. 21, that Lt. Kirk Thibodeaux, who is currently assigned to the agency’s Transportation Safety Services/Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, has been placed on administrative leave pending the criminal and administrative investigation’s end.

State police confirmed he was attending a work-related conference at the time of his arrest. He has reportedly worked for the agency since 2002.

South Dakota officials say the charge of hiring for sexual activity is a class 1 misdemeanor in the state.

Pennington County State’s Attorney Lara Rochelle Roetzel said Thibodeaux was released on his “personal recognizance.”

A court date is set for Oct. 5 at 8:15 a.m.

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved.