The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office announced on April 17 that deputies responded to 41 complaints in the previous 24 hours and made several arrests, including one involving multiple counts of child sexual abuse material.
According to the report, Henry Manuel Rabelo, age 42 of Patterson, was arrested on April 16 at approximately 2:54 p.m. after detectives received a tip regarding his alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. Following an investigation and execution of a search warrant on April 13, detectives apprehended Rabelo and transported him to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities said they discovered additional digital files leading to further charges against Rabelo—specifically, an additional 24 counts related to child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual abuse of an animal. Detectives booked Rabelo on these new charges while he was already in custody; bail had not been set as of the report’s release.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized its commitment as a member agency within the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC), which is focused on investigating technology-facilitated crimes against minors. The office also encouraged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activities closely and provided resources for internet safety or reporting suspicious activity via its official website or MissingKids.org.
Other arrests reported include Rufus Scott Ackman Jr., age 56 from Franklin, charged with criminal trespass, driving while intoxicated, and hit-and-run offenses with bail set at $4,500; Kayala Sharae Jackson, age 31 from Franklin, arrested for failure to appear regarding possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia before being released on a $2,000 bond; and Harold John Edwards Jr., age 45 from Jeanerette, booked for two warrants related to criminal neglect of family and possessing alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles—bail had not been set for Edwards at press time.
