Woodworth man pleads guilty to rape, sexual assault charges involving juveniles

RAPIDES PARISH, La. (KALB) - Just one week before his trial, Jacob Michot, 20, of Woodworth, pleaded guilty to multiple charges for incidents involving juvenile victims from August 2020 to January 2022.

On Thursday, Feb. 23, Michot pleaded guilty to an amended bill of indictment, which included one count of third-degree rape, two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of pornography involving juveniles.

Previously, Michot was formally charged with one count of third-degree rape and five counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. He had been arrested on a separate charge of third-degree rape, second-degree rape and possession of child pornography, but was never formally indicted on those charges.

The charges pertain to his involvement specifically with three of the four victims in the case. The third-degree rape charge applies to an incident with a 16-year-old victim in November 2021. The two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile involve two separate victims. One incident occurred in August 2020 with a 15-year-old. The other incident was in November 2021 with a 13-year-old. The charge of pornography involving juveniles pertained to his possession of such between August 2021 and January 2022.

”This deal was done to kind of get the case moving along,” said Assistant District Attorney Lea Hall. “The benefits of it were that none of my victims had to testify, they didn’t have to go through the ordeal of a trial and they have the benefits of a very high sentencing range.”

Michot now faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

• Third-degree rape: Sentence of no more than 25 years, without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
• Indecent behavior with a juvenile: Sentence of no more than seven years, or a maximum fine of $5,000, or both.
• Pornography involving a juvenile: Sentence of between five to 20 years, without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Could be fined no more than $50,000.

However, things did get tense in the courtroom when one victim’s parent expressed frustration over changes made to the indictment.

This was because, while Michot was formally indicted on a third-degree rape charge in the incident involving their daughter, that was no longer the case. Instead, the charges were changed to one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and pornography involving a juvenile.

The third-degree rape charge Michot pleaded to applies to a different victim, for whose case Michot was arrested on a second-degree rape charge, but was never formally indicted on.

The parent of the victim said he had only been able to have one conversation with Hall, and during the course of that conversation, Hall had said their daughter’s case was the driving case.

The parent began to describe the impacts the case has had on their daughter, saying they have “never felt pain like this.”

At that point, Hall interjected and warned the parent that the media was present in the courtroom, a comment which brought the back-and-forth between the parent and Hall to a stop. The prosecutor emphasized the plea deal was an “excellent outcome,” and the parent agreed.

Hall responded, “I hope she [News Channel 5] quotes you on that.”

“While I understand that some of the finer points of the plea were lost on them, in the end, it is a very excellent plea, and I do think that it is taken by my victims as that,” said Hall. “I think that, in the end, they are appreciative of the fact that the case has concluded.”

Hall later told News Channel 5 that the discussions on the case have been ongoing since September.

“This is not a small agreement,” said Hall, emphasizing that multiple people are involved. “The information was disseminated as broadly as could possibly be done. Right? And that people coming away with misunderstandings on issues that they are not intimately familiar with is totally understandable.”

Hall said that sex crimes can fit under many definitions under Louisiana law. In this case, with so many parties involved, “in order to be inclusive of everybody,” he had to make the charges work for the group.

The parents of the victims also expressed concerns over the consequences associated with the charges, questioning whether Michot’s parents would be able to pay for him to get out of a few of them.

Hall explained that it is possible Michot could receive a fine but thinks it would be “wildly irresponsible” for a judge to do that. Instead, he believes Michot will receive more than the minimum five-year sentence. Upon release, Michot will be required to register as a lifelong sex offender.

“What I find is that victims want as much certainty as they can get in a very uncertain system,” said Hall. “All you can really do is explain to them what the law provides and try to steer it toward the best possible outcome. We’ve overwhelmingly done that in this case.”

Hall emphasized how the detailed accounts from victims, including lifelong impacts of their sexual assault experiences, would assist in getting a higher sentence.

Michot will be sentenced on May 9. The case is being prosecuted by Hall. Michot is represented by George Higgins. Judge Greg Beard is presiding.

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