District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington announced the sentencing in a sexual abuse case that involved minor children.

Kenny Choate, 39, of Saline, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated crimes against nature, a felony.
At a sentencing hearing on February 1st, 10th Judicial District Court Judge Desiree Dyess sentenced Choate to 99 years of incarceration at hard labor. Judge Dyess found that Choate’s actions “shocked the the conscience…was a danger to our society and that shame never crossed his mind.”

According to court records, the case against Choate stemmed from a complaint of sexual abuse involving Choate and minor children. The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the initial complaint with Detective Jared Kilpatrick leading the investigation. During the execution of search warrants at Choate’s residence in Saline, over 10,500 images of suspected child pornography was located on various media and computer storage devices.

Additionally, during the investigation and interviews with the suspect and victims, it determined that Choate engaged in sexual acts with victims for several years, beginning when the victims were under the age of 10.

The Natchitoches Parish District Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office worked together to pursue the child pornography case. The US Attorney prosecuted Choate federal court, to which Choate pleaded guilty in to exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. Choate was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $103,000 in restitution to the identified victims.

The 99 year sentence imposed by the district court will be served after Choate completes his 20 year federal sentence.

“These cases were of the most disturbing and unconscionable cases we have prosecuted in Natchitoches Parish,” said District Attorney Harrington.

Assistant District Attorney Bray Williams prosecuted the case.