COVINGTON—-District Attorney Warren Montgomery reports that Bert Jones, age 24 of Slidell, pled guilty on Tuesday, January 20th, 2015, to two counts of forcible rape, 1 count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, and 1 count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. 22nd Judicial District Judge Raymond Childress sentenced Jones to 50 years in prison for each count of forcible rape, 20 years in prison for carnal knowledge of a juvenile, and 10 years in prison for computer-aided solicitation of a minor to be served concurrently. Assistant District Attorney John Alford was in charge of preparation and presentation of the State’s case.
The two female teenage victims and some family members and friends were present at the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, and supported the plea agreement. Judge Childress allowed the defendant to face the victims and apologize for his crimes.
Jones was arrested in February 2014 by the Slidell Police Department after one of the victims told her school counselor that she had been sexually assaulted. Jones passed himself off as a teenager while befriending the victims. Jones met one victim on social media and lured her to meet him before he sexually assaulted her. Jones and the other victim were out for a walk to a friend’s house when Jones sexually assaulted her.
Jones was sentenced as a career criminal due to a prior conviction for felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile in 2010. Forcible rape is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 5 years nor more than 40 years.