Retired Louisiana Priest Pleads Guilty to Rape and Kidnapping Charges
The New York Times
Lawrence Hecker, who was indicted last year on charges related to a sexual assault in the 1970s, pleaded guilty on Tuesday just before jury selection for his trial was set to begin.
A retired Roman Catholic priest who was indicted last year in Louisiana on charges related to the sexual assault of a teenage boy in the 1970s pleaded guilty to the crimes on Tuesday, his lawyer said, just before jury selection for the trial was set to begin.
The retired priest, Lawrence Hecker, 93, pleaded guilty to state charges of first-degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature, and theft over $500, said his lawyer, Bobby Hjortsberg. The charges came after allegations surfaced last year that the Archdiocese of New Orleans had known about accusations against Mr. Hecker for decades.
“Him ultimately taking responsibility for it was the right thing to do, and the necessary thing to do at this point,” Mr. Hjortsberg said. “I hope everybody involved can move forward in whatever way is best for them.”
The guilty plea did not include a plea deal, Mr. Hjortsberg said. Mr. Hecker is set to be sentenced on Dec. 18, and he faces life in prison.
Mr. Hecker’s trial had been delayed multiple times over concerns about his mental competency, and because the judge recused himself over a conflict with prosecutors. The new judge, Nandi Campbell of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, ordered Mr. Hecker to undergo physical and psychological evaluations before trial. Mr. Hjortsberg confirmed that the retired priest had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The charges against Mr. Hecker came months after The Guardian reported that he confessed to his superiors in 1999 that he had sexually molested or committed other forms of sexual misconduct against multiple teenagers in the 1960s and ’70s. Mr. Hecker later confirmed to The Guardian and the New Orleans news outlet WWL-TV that he had committed “overtly sexual acts” with at least three underage boys.
