Jury selection begins for former reality star facing multiple rape charges

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Jury selection has begun for the trial of a former reality television star accused of rape.

District Attorney Hillar Moore confirms that jury selection has started in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge for the trial of William Hayden.

Hayden was indicted by a grand jury for two counts of aggravated rape and one count of forcible rape.

Four victims have made claims that Hayden raped them. At the time the claims were made, Hayden was staring on the reality television show "Sons of Guns," which was filmed at his business Red Jacket Firearms. The series was canceled shortly after the accusations became public.

The first arrest was made by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office on Aug. 8, 2014. Hayden was charged with molestation of a juvenile and aggravated crimes against nature for alleged sexual activity with a 12-year-old girl in connection with an incident that allegedly happened on August 4.

Detectives then re-booked Hayden on August 26 on a charge of aggravated rape related to that same girl.

About a month after the initial arrest, detectives said more charges were filed against Hayden after a woman reported he had allegedly raped her 22 years ago when she was 12 years old.

Hayden also faces charges of aggravated rape and indecent behavior with a juvenile in Livingston Parish. Detectives there said the rape charge is from March 2013 involving a girl who was 11 years old at the time. They added another girl came forward and told them she was a victim of Hayden's in 1995 when she was 12 or 13 years old.

Hayden has been held in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison since his arrest.

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