AMITE (LA)
The Advocate
By DEBRA LEMOINE
dlemoine@theadvocate.com
Florida parishes bureau
AMITE -- An attorney for one of the alleged members of a Ponchatoula child sex ring said Wednesday that the information released about his client has been sensationalized and won't hold up in court.
Michael Thiel, an Amite attorney, is representing Louis David Lamonica, who was arrested three weeks ago on aggravated rape in Livingston Parish. Authorities said they believe Lamonica was the pastor of Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula where members allegedly had sex with children and animals as part of occult-like rituals from 1999 to 2003.
Thiel said he has not seen written or recorded statements of his client implicating himself, which the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office used to arrest him May 16.
"Generally, I believe there's been a rush to judge based on conjecture, rumors and leaks to the media," Thiel said.
Once evidence is presented in a courtroom, Thiel said, he believes most of the rumors will prove false.
Posted by kshaw at June 7, 2005 09:46 AM