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Prosecutors: State Police conclude investigation into WBRSO Deputy
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PORT ALLEN- Assistant District Attorney Tony Clayton told WBRZ State Police have concluded their investigation into West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Deputy Ben Arceneaux.
Clayton stopped short of saying what State Police found, but did say meetings will be held with Sheriff Mike Cazes as decisions are made on how to proceed. Prosecutors can either pursue or not pursue charges against Arceneaux, or take the case to a grand jury to let the jurors decide. It is unclear if anything will be done.
Arceneaux came under fire earlier this year when a woman alleged he pulled her over during a traffic stop in January and asked, "how far she would go to get out of a ticket." That woman alleged Arceneaux forced her to perform oral sex on him. During the time of that internal investigation, another woman came forward making similar allegations.
When the WBRZ Investigative Unit began asking questions, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office denied our requests for the reports. Station attorneys got involved, and the reports were released but were heavily redacted. Shortly after the stories aired, three more women came forward to WBRZ making similar allegations.
LSU Law Professor Ken Levy is troubled by this case.
"As soon as these allegations came in he should have been suspended from the force until the investigation was complete and once he confessed to these crimes, he should have been fired immediately and it should have been referred to the D.A.," Levy said.
But, that's not what happened. It took the WBRZ Investigative Unit airing a report for Arceneaux to be placed on unpaid leave. Friday, Levy said other women have valid reasons to question their stops if Arceneaux pulled them over.
"I would think that any female defendants have a strong claim if they were pulled over for the wrong reasons, and the charges that he pressed against them," Levy said. "If he went against any of the victim's family members or the victims themselves again."
Calls to Arceneaux's attorney were not returned.
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