St. Tammany News

Information from a local social worker has led to the arrest of a Pearl River man charged with four counts of aggravated rape of a child under 13.

Robert A. Friday, 45, 818 Pine Alley St., Pearl River, was arrested Jan. 17 by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies, according to the Slidell Police Department.

Robert A. Friday

Police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz said a social worker reported on Dec. 10 that one of her clients had told her they had been molested by Friday. According to social worker, the molestation took place for one and half years, stopping in 2004 when the child was 11 years old.

Foltz said the gender of the victim and how the child knew the suspect would not be released in order to protect the identity of the victim and family. Foltz did say the multiple incidents of molestation occurred within Slidell city limits.

Slidell detectives had a child forensic interview from the Children's Advocacy Center in Covington interview the victim. From the interview, detectives learned that Friday allegedly molested the victim sometimes up to twice a week for one and half years.

Because Friday lives outside the city limits, Slidell police contacted the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office, and deputies assisted the police in executing a search warrant on Friday's Pearl River home.

Foltz said Friday's computer was confiscated, and computer forensic investigators at the Sheriff's Office will see if the computer's hard drive contains any illegal material.

Under Louisiana law, the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney has the choice of seeking either the death penalty or life imprisonment without benefit of parole for the crime of aggravated rape of a child under the age of 13.