Louisiana Pastor Accused Of Taping Students' Mouths Shut Receives Additional Charges Of Cruelty To Juveniles

Slidell police have once again arrested a Louisiana pastor over additional charges of cruelty against children.

In April, a Louisiana pastor made headlines when he was arrested after being accused of taping shut the mouths of three of his 13 year old students for talking too much. He claims to have done this as punishment for bullying a teacher. Pastor John Raymond, the founder and school headmaster of Lakeside Christian Academy in Slidell was charged with three counts of cruelty to juveniles. Slidell police confirmed on Monday that Raymond had been apprehended once again for another count of child cruelty.

According to WWL-TV, another student of the Louisiana pastor has come forward with allegations of cruelty. The 60 year old had been previously accused of bringing four students to his office on March 18, during which he punished them for being too talkative. Following his first arrest, witnesses said that they have seen other forms of cruelty carried out by the Louisiana pastor, with some incidents dating back to 2017.

Also Read: Louisiana Pastor Arrested For Taping Students' Mouths Because They Were Bullying A Teacher

The Lousiana Pastor's History of Cruelty to Children

Slidell police reported that one incident of cruelty to juveniles involving Raymond involved a pre-K student who would sometimes have tantrums. During one of the student's tantrums, the Louisiana pastor allegedly placed his hands over the four year old boy's mouth until he went "limp." In another incident, police said that the same child who had tantrums had been "dragged by his ankles" by Raymond after he refused to go with the pastor. Fox 8 Live reported that the pastor had also held the student "upside down by his ankles while issuing physical abuse."

After investigating the new allegations, Slidell police arrested Raymond and took him to St. Tammany Parish Jail. Investigators are now intent on looking for more witnesses and allegations against the Louisiana pastor as the investigation progresses.

UMC Daycare Staff Face Child Abuse Charges

The Louisiana pastor is not the only faith leader facing charges of cruelty to juveniles. In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, former First United Methodist Church pastor Paige Williams has filed a motion to dismiss the child abuse case she is facing, WHOP reported. On Tuesday, Williams and three other defendants, former church day care director Abby Leach and former day care workers Allison Simpson and Nina Morgan appeared in Christian Circuit Court.

A separate WHOP report revealed that the defendants are accused of having "breached their legal duty to protect the minor children by failing to prevent Simpson and Morgan from intentionally abusing children." In each count, the victim was described as being less than 13 months old. Simpson is indicated on 30 counts of criminal child abuse, which have all occurred between December 19, 2018 and January 18, 2019. Eleven of the 30 counts are against the same infant, while the allegations list a total of eight children as victims. Morgan meanwhile is indicated for two counts of criminal child abuse.