On January 15, 2019, Lee Barrient III of 18543 Little Prairie Rd. Prairieville, LA., age 28, pled guilty to Cruelty to Juveniles (2 counts). Barrient was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Leila Braswell, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a 2018 arrest.  

          On February 8, 2018, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Detectives responded to a local hospital after being advised that a 2-year-old child had been admitted to the hospital for injuries consistent with child abuse. Medical staff advised that the child was brought in by his father, Lee Barrient III, and step-mother Rikki Dyson. The child suffered from severe bruising and bleeding on the brain. An extensive investigation revealed that these injuries were a result of Barrient correcting the child. Barrient admitted to detectives that he may go a little too far at times when correcting his children but would never intentionally hurt them. Both Barrient and Dyson were arrested for their involvement and transported to the Ascension Parish Detention Center where they were booked accordingly.  

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charges, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Barrient was sentenced to a total of 20 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. It was ordered that 10 years of the sentence are to be served, and the remaining 10 years are to be suspended. Upon release from incarceration, Barrient is to be placed on 5 years supervised probation.

           Rikki Dyson, age 20 of Gonzales, previously pled guilty on August 13, 2018 to Cruelty to Juveniles (2 counts). As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Dyson was sentenced to 10 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 5 years supervised probation.