Local photographer/LHSAA referee no longer officiating after arrest for 25 counts of pornography involving juveniles

RAPIDES PARISH, La. (KALB) - The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is taking action after a long-time official and local photographer from Boyce was arrested for 25 counts of pornography involving juveniles.

John Thomas Rougeou, 54, of Boyce was arrested on May 8 after Rapides Parish deputies learned of a complaint of a non-consensual disclosure of a private image. Aside from being a photographer, the LHSAA confirmed that Rougeou was an official working high school basketball, baseball and softball games as recently as the 2022-2023 school year. Rougeou worked basketball games for 23 years, softball for 17 years and baseball for 14 years. An LHSAA official reported that Rougeou is not currently an active official anymore.

In an additional statement sent to News Channel 5, the LHSAA said, “The officials’ associations are taking actions in accordance with their bylaws to address this alleged misconduct.”

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office previously shared that an investigation into Rougeou began on April 9. During a search, detectives found electronic devices that were seized for forensic processing. RPSO found multiple images of child pornography and obtained an arrest warrant for Rougeou.

Rougeou was located during a traffic stop on May 8 and was taken into custody without incident. He was arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center for 25 counts of pornography involving juveniles. He was released on May 9 on a $50,000 bond.

Background information:

On January 23, 2001, Rougeou was indicted on a count of pornography with juveniles and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

The pornography charge was tied to a September 5, 2000, accusation in which he was accused of possessing visual reproductions of sexual performances involving a child under the age of 17.

The indecent behavior charges were tied to accusations between August 31, 1999, and September 13, 1999, when Rougeou was accused of committing a lewd and lascivious act in the presence of a child.

The District Attorney’s Office dismissed the pornography charge on December 17, 2001, but Rougeou entered a plea of no contest to two felony charges of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile in lieu of the indecent behavior charges.

Rougeou was represented by Camille Giordano. Assistant District Attorney T. Gerald Henderson prosecuted the case. Judge Harry Randow sentenced Rougeou to pay a fine and court costs, but that sentence was suspended under article 893, which allows the imposition of a sentence for a first-time non-violent felony conviction to be set aside. Instead, Rougeou was placed on supervised probation.

We have also learned from the Rapides Parish School Board that Rougeou was hired as a teacher at Acadian 6th Grade Center back on Aug. 15, 1996. He was transferred to Rosenthal Montessori for the 1997-1998 school year. He resigned on Dec. 18, 2001, and has not been employed with the Rapides Parish school system for more than 20 years.

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