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	Deacon Pleads Guilty to Indecent Behavior with Minor By Johnny Gunter The News Star July 8, 2009 http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090708/NEWS01/907070365 A Morehouse Parish man is to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in 4th Judicial District Court in Bastrop for indecent behavior with a juvenile. Billy Ray Harper, 59, 8298 Basham Road, Bastrop, who pleaded guilty in April, will be sentenced by Judge Scott Leehy and could receive up to 25 years in prison. The case involved a 12-year-old girl. The indecent behavior reportedly occurred in January 2008. During the investigation, Morehouse sheriff's investigators uncovered a pattern of abuse and found other victims who said Harper assaulted them. Harper, who was an International Paper Co. employee and a deacon in his church, was arrested in March 2008. The 4th District Attorney's Office also filed a notice of intent to use evidence of other crimes in relation to the case. The motion outlines dates and circumstances in which Harper allegedly committed indecent behavior crimes against six other juveniles from 1982 to 1986. In each case, victims told investigators that Harper either touched them in the areas of their breast or vagina. In one case, the victim alleges that Harper also exposed his penis to her. Assistant District Attorney Dion Young said the statute of limitations may have expired on the alleged crimes against the earlier victims, but their testimony could be used against Harper at his trial. He was indicted in April 2008 on an unrelated count of aggravated rape in connection with a 1995 incident in which he is accused of having sexual contact with an 8-year-old victim. A trial date of Aug. 3 has been set for the aggravated rape trial. A conviction of aggravated rape carries a life sentence. The two cases were separated on a motion from the District Attorney's office. Contact: jgunter@thenewsstar.com
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