A Slidell man could go to jail for life after being found guilty of indecent behavior with an under-age child.
A Jury in St. Tammany Parish found Antoine Asara Hartley guilty of the charge Thursday.
The case stems from August 2019 when the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office received a complaint in reference to inappropriate comments made to a juvenile by an older man.
The mother of the victim reported to officers that her daughter told her that she had been inappropriately touched by the defendant.
The victim reported to officers that she and her sisters would often visit her neighbors to babysit their young children, and the defendant did as well.
The sisters said the defendant made them uncomfortable, making comments like “if you were older we would be dating.”
Hartley also touched the victim’s breasts and thigh.
In a recorded video played at trial, Hartley repeatedly blamed the sisters.
He admitted to telling the sisters that he could be their boyfriend, but insisted it was only a scare tactic to keep them away, since he claimed that the eleven-year-old was wearing a bikini one size too small and her sister would not keep her legs closed while wearing a skirt.
Hartley has a prior history, having been convicted on two charges of molestation of a juvenile, aggravated battery, and failure to register as a sex offender.
Additionally, Hartley had been released only months prior to committing the instant offense, following the completion of his sentence for a conviction of forcible rape.
Hartley faces life in prison without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. He will be sentenced on February 16, 2023.
