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Livingston jury convicts politically connected man of child sex crimes that were ignored for years
UPDATE: A judge on Tuesday sentenced John Mack to life in prison for rape and other charges.
This is a breaking update. Read the full story here.
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LIVINGSTON — A man with family ties to multiple political figures in Livingston Parish was found guilty of rape and other charges stemming from sex crimes that went unaddressed for years.
The case has been the focus of numerous reports by the WBRZ Investigative Unit.
A jury found John Mack guilty of first-degree rape and attempted first-degree rape, though he initially faced even more charges, including two other counts of rape. The crimes involved foster children, one of whom tried to report the abuse for nearly a decade.
The case eventually drew the attention of noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who weighed in after the verdict was handed down Friday.
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According to prosecutors, the crimes occurred from 2011 to 2015. The case was stalled until a new witness came forward in 2021.
Mack is the uncle of a state representative and a Livingston Parish council member - and his connections led the local district attorney to step aside from the case.
Judge Charlotte Foster gave the case to jurors about 11 a.m. Friday. They returned a guilty verdict around 3 p.m.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 17.
The officials related to Mack, State Rep. Sherman Mack and Councilman Shane Mack, say they have been estranged from their uncle for years.
The case was prosecuted by the Louisiana attorney general's office.
“Today, justice was delivered to John Mack by a jury of his peers in Livingston Parish. I hope the verdict provides some comfort to his victims. The lifelong scars of sexual abuse cut even deeper when the victim is a minor," said the statement from Attorney General Jeff Landry.
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