Web-sex solicitor may get life term
Abbeville man pleads guilty
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LAFAYETTE — An Abbeville man could face life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity over the Internet.
Christopher Duplantis, 22, was arrested late last year after he asked a person, whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, to perform sexual acts over the Internet.
The person actually was an undercover officer with the Louisiana State Police stationed in Erath. Duplantis was at his mother’s home.
Duplantis was at least the second such person to plead guilty to the charge this week.
On Monday, Randy P. Courville, a former officer with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs who lived in Eunice, entered a plea in federal court to the same charge following a joint investigation between several agencies.
Courville faces a possible maximum of not less than five years nor more than 30 years in prison.
On Thursday, Duplantis appeared in court before U.S. District Judge Richard Haik.
As he stood before Haik, Duplantis apologized for his actions.
“It was stupid of me to do,” Duplantis told him.
“Being stupid is the least of your problems right now,” Haik responded. “But you’re right, it was stupid.”
Duplantis now faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years to life in prison without the benefit of parole. He also could face lifetime supervised probation if he is released.
He will be sentenced following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation to be conducted by probation and parole officers.
In exchange for his plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped a possession of child pornography charge against him.
Christopher Duplantis, 22, was arrested late last year after he asked a person, whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, to perform sexual acts over the Internet.
The person actually was an undercover officer with the Louisiana State Police stationed in Erath. Duplantis was at his mother’s home.
Duplantis was at least the second such person to plead guilty to the charge this week.
On Monday, Randy P. Courville, a former officer with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs who lived in Eunice, entered a plea in federal court to the same charge following a joint investigation between several agencies.
Courville faces a possible maximum of not less than five years nor more than 30 years in prison.
On Thursday, Duplantis appeared in court before U.S. District Judge Richard Haik.
As he stood before Haik, Duplantis apologized for his actions.
“It was stupid of me to do,” Duplantis told him.
“Being stupid is the least of your problems right now,” Haik responded. “But you’re right, it was stupid.”
Duplantis now faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years to life in prison without the benefit of parole. He also could face lifetime supervised probation if he is released.
He will be sentenced following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation to be conducted by probation and parole officers.
In exchange for his plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped a possession of child pornography charge against him.
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