Man, Who Was Previously Convicted of Child Sex Abuse, Found Guilty of Molesting His New Girlfriend’s 8-Year-Old Daughter

A Louisiana man with a prior child sexual abuse conviction has been found guilty of molesting his girlfriend’s young daughter.

Lawrence Burt, 48, was convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile on Friday, March 28. He now faces between two to 25 years in prison, according to a press release from the Louisiana District Attorney’s Office.

Per trial testimony, deputies from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a Pearl River residence in March 2022 “in reference to a sexual abuse complaint.”

Upon arriving at the residence, deputies spoke to a woman who said her 8-year-old daughter had been touched inappropriately by her boyfriend, the release said.

The Louisiana D.A.’s office stated that, upon being interviewed by a forensic interviewer, the child said Burt would sneak into her bedroom during the night and “fuss” at her if she attempted to lock her bedroom door.

She also said that she had been afraid to tell her mother about the abuse out of fear that Burt would kill her and her family. 

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The office said an arrest warrant was eventually issued for Burt, who was later located at a local apartment complex. Authorities received assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

While Burt initially denied the allegations when interviewed, he did admit to avoiding police after finding out about the warrant for his arrest, authorities added.

The office said Burt has a prior conviction for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl when he was 31 years old. He also has two convictions for failing to register as a convicted sex offender, as well as a conviction for theft.

Sentencing for the most recent case will take place in May, per the District Attorney’s office.

The Louisiana D.A.’s office and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, March 30.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.