A Louisiana man who was previously convicted of child sex abuse has been found guilty of molesting his new girlfriend’s eight-year-old daughter.
Lawrence Burt, 48, was convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile on March 28.
According to court filings, authorities were called to a Pearl River residence in March 2022, “in reference to a sexual abuse complaint.”
Upon arrival, deputies spoke to a woman who said her 8-year-old daughter had been touched inappropriately by her boyfriend. The child was interviewed by a forensic interviewer, according to the Louisiana District Attorney’s office.
The child said Burt would sneak into her bedroom during the night and “fuss” if she tried to lock the bedroom door. She told police she was scared to tell her mother about the abuse, because she believed Burt would kill her and her family.
Burt was arrested at a local apartment complex. Authorities received assistance from the US Marshals Service.
Authorities said that Burt initially denied the allegations when interviewed, but admitted avoiding police after finding out about the warrant for his arrest.
Burt has a prior conviction for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl when he was 31 years old, the office said. He also has two convictions for failing to register as a convicted sex offender, as well as one conviction for theft.
Burt will be sentenced in May. The Louisiana District Attorney’s Office said he faces a sentence of between two and 25 years.
