Judge hands down sentence against Gulfport man in child sex crime case
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- Leonard Michael Roberts pleaded guilty to sexual battery and child exploitation charges.
- Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Roberts to 40 years with 10 years suspended.
A Gulfport man is headed to prison for 30 years after he pleaded guilty in April to felony charges of sexual battery and child exploitation.
After Leonard Michael Roberts, 43, pleaded guilty to the felony offenses, Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Roberts to 40 years in prison, but suspended 10 years, leaving 30 years for him to serve in prison for the crimes. In addition, Roberts has to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life.
An investigation began after authorities at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana called Harrison County authorities to report a mentally ill 17-year-old girl had given birth to a child there.
The girl told Harrison County authorities that Roberts had sexually assaulted the girl during an encounter on Smith Road.
Authorities subsequently obtained DNA from Roberts, which confirmed he was the child’s father.
During the investigation, authorities also examined the defendant’s cellular phone, where they found videos and images of the minor victim, Harrison County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burrell said in a release.
During sentencing, Circuit Court Judge Christopher Schmidt addressed the crime.
“I can’t think of many things worse, short of homicide, than the crimes of which you’ve now entered your guilty plea,” he said.
Because of the nature of the crimes occurred, Roberts must serve a 30-year day-for-day sentence without the possibility of parole or early release.
“This case reflects some of the most serious violations of trust and human decency that we prosecute,” District Attorney Crosby Parker said. “Our office will continue to stand with victims and work closely with law enforcement to ensure those who prey on children are identified, prosecuted, and removed from our communities.”
