A Louisiana man convicted of raping a juvenile under the age of 13 will be chemically castrated before he is released back into society.
Ryan Clark, 34, of Kentwood pleaded guilty to felony charges of sexual battery, molestation of a juvenile under 13, and second-degree rape on March 1, according to Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney Scott Perrilloux.
Perrilloux said in a statement:
On July 16 of 2020, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified of indecent behavior between Clark and a juvenile by a person the victim had confided in. The person also explained this behavior had taken place for more than a year. The juvenile was then interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Hammond and was able to detail the incidents. A possible second victim was also discovered.
“Clark also has a prior conviction of misdemeanor carnal knowledge of a juvenile for receiving oral sex in a public place from a minor,” Perrilloux added. “He was sentenced to 128 days in the parish jail for that charge in 2015.”
Judge Brian Ables sentenced Clark to 35 years in prison, with the first 25 years to be served without the possibility of parole. Ables also ruled that Clark must register as a sex offender for life, forfeit all parental rights, never contact his victims, and submit to chemical castration before release.
Former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) authorized chemical castration for certain offenders in 2008. Chemical castration involves the injection of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a drug that suppresses a man’s sex drive by reducing testosterone levels.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) noted that after taking the castration drug, the offender “is no longer motivated to commit sex offenses and is more amenable to psychotherapy that can enable him to reintegrate into the community.”
“MPA treatment will minimize the offender’s commitment as a sexual psychopath and allow him to continue his rehabilitation. Treatment with MPA could also be considered an acceptable condition for probation,” according to the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.