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Slidell pastor found guilty on charges of cruelty to juveniles
By Raeven Poole,
13 hours ago
SLIDELL, La. ( WGNO ) — A former Slidell pastor convicted on cruelty to juveniles charges has been found guilty.
According to the Office of District Attorney Collin Sims, 62-year-old John Raymond was found guilty on multiple charges in connection to two incidents reported in 2022.
In March of 2022, Slidell Police Department officers said several parents of students at Lakeside Christian Academy students expressed their anger after Raymond allegedly “reprimanded” their sons for speaking in class.
Raymond, who was the founder and headmaster of the school, claimed he was administering appropriate discipline to “misbehaving students.
Court documents revealed witnesses to his actions said they attempted to keep him out of disciplinary matters due to his excessive methods, referring to him as the school’s “disciplinarian.”
According to court documents, parents said Raymond gave their sons the choice of expulsion or punishment which was noted to be “having strong-adhesive shipping tape wrapped around their heads to cover their mouths” and would send the students back to class with a warning.
School Principal Buffie Singletary would be alerted to Raymond’s actions and demand to the tape’s removal, according to court documents.
Raymond was arrested on three counts of cruelty to juveniles soon after.
Further investigations led detectives to discover an incident involving a 4-year-old pre-K student. Deputies state the student had become irritable; and wouldn’t settle down for nap time. His behavior reportedly turned into a tantrum.
He was taken to the principal’s office where Raymond allegedly knelt down and placed his hand over the child’s mouth and nostrils until his body went limp, according to the teacher.
When asked why the incident was not immediately reported, staff said Raymond maintained a culture of intimidation.
After less than an hour of deliberations, Raymond was found guilty on a count of second-degree cruelty and three counts of cruelty to juveniles.
Raymond faces the possibility of 50 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Oct. 23.
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