63-year-old man arrested, victims say he raped them as children

LAPLACE – A man was arrested Tuesday after victims came forward and told police he raped them as children. 

The St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office got a tip on April 18, 2023 that Rodney D. Labat had sexually assaulted three juveniles. 

Deputies found evidence that Labat raped two people, a male and a female, several years ago when they were children. During the investigation, Labat was also found to be connected to the rape of a different child in March 2023. 

Labat was arrested and booked with one count of first-degree rape and two counts of aggravated rape. 

First-degree rape holds a mandatory life sentence in Louisiana.