Man found guilty of aggravated rape

By Suzanne Le Breton
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, August 27, 2010 12:22 AM CDT

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

A man who was a minor himself when the incident occurred was convicted this week of raping another child.

A jury found Tony Keith Straub Jr., who is now 23 years old, guilty of aggravated rape.

According to the report filed by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Straub was arrested in July 2008 and was indicted on the aggravated rape charge the next month.

STRAUB

However, it is believed the actual rape occurred sometime between 2002 and 2004.

George Bonnett, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said according to the report, Straub was an acquaintance of the victim’s family and he was taking the small girl door-to-door to sell items as part of a school fund-raiser when he brought her into the woods near her home and raped her.

The little girl did not tell her parents about the rape until several years later in 2008.

While the exact date of the rape was not determined, it is believed that the victim was 6 years old at the time.

Aggravated rape of someone under the age of 12 carries a mandatory life in prison.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

2 comment(s)

Reason wrote on Aug 30, 2010 10:21 AM:

" Excellent point. This went to a jury, so it's not like Straub confessed. Absent actual biological material, there must have been medical testimony showing lingering physical evidence that something traumatic did occur. Couple that with maybe her ability to identify certain physical characteristics about him. Tricky indeed, but it was enough to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. "

bigmeanie wrote on Aug 27, 2010 7:11 AM:

" Okay, before I say anything, let me state that I am in no way defending or accusing this guy. What I want to know is: how does someone prove a rape that happened several years earlier? All physical evidence to link him to the crime is gone as that point, and it becomes her word against his. Parents: please let your child know that they can come to you with ANYTHING, and reenforce that communication by not getting angry with them when they do. Most of the time kids dont tell their parents because they are afraid of upsetting them. "

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.