Teen held in rape of boy

• By KIMBERLY VETTER
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: May 31, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

For the second time in less than a year, police have investigated the rape of a boy at a Harmony Center Inc. group home.

In both incidents an older resident has been arrested for allegedly raping a younger resident.

The most recent incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. May 18 at Harmony Center Inc.’s Lester Roberts Group Home at 1306 Main St., an arrest affidavit says.

Police arrested Jervonte Tremaine Montgomery, 17, Wednesday for allegedly raping a 12-year-old boy at the home, the affidavit says.
Montgomery was booked into Parish Prison on a count of aggravated rape.

A similar incident occurred in October at Harmony Center Inc.’s Longfellow Group Home at 5455 Longfellow Drive.

Police arrested Leonard Mayer, 17, for allegedly raping an 11-year-old boy in a bathroom at the home. Mayer also was booked into Parish Prison on a count of aggravated rape.

Roberts Group Home is a home for mentally challenged youths, said Cheryl Michelet, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services. Longfellow Group Home is for abused or neglected youth.

Collis Temple Jr. is the director of the homes, according to the Louisiana Department of Social Services Web site.

He also is listed as the director of Harmony Center Inc., a nonprofit organization, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Web site.

A Friday telephone interview with Temple was cut short when he said “hold on” and the line went dead. Subsequent messages left Friday on Temple’s business and phones were not returned.

Michelet said Lester Roberts Group Home opened its doors in September 2006.

The home is licensed to house 15 males ranging from 12 years old to 18, she said. There are seven bedrooms inside the home, six of which can house two residents each and one that can house three residents.

Michelet said she did not know how many employees work at the group home or how many employees are on duty per shift.