Lake Charles, Louisiana - The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested two Lake Charles residents after a child reported ongoing sexual abuse to school personnel, according to information released by the Sheriff’s Office.
On December 5, Special Victims Unit (SVU) detectives were called to a local elementary school after a student told staff she had been sexually abused. The school then notified law enforcement, as required by law for suspected child abuse.
During the initial investigation, detectives were advised that the victim reported 34-year-old Gerson A. Espinal, of Lake Charles, had touched her inappropriately on several occasions. Investigators say the child also disclosed that Espinal raped her.
Detectives later learned the victim had previously told a family member, identified as 32-year-old Carla M. Artiaga, also of Lake Charles, about the alleged sexual assault. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Artiaga did not report those allegations to law enforcement.
After further investigation, both Espinal and Artiaga were arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center.
- Espinal is charged with:
- First-degree rape
- Sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13
Judge Kendrick Guidry set Espinal’s bond at $500,000.
- Artiaga is charged with:
- Failure to report certain felonies
Judge Kendrick Guidry set her bond at $100,000.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, both Espinal and Artiaga are being held on immigration detainers by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. An immigration detainer is a request from federal immigration authorities asking a local jail to hold an individual for possible immigration enforcement action.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office identified SVU Detective Chassie Huval as the lead investigator on the case. Cpl. Seth Fusilier with CPSO assisted in the investigation.
No additional details, including the child’s age or the name of the school, were released. Law enforcement agencies commonly withhold identifying information in child sex abuse cases to protect the victim’s privacy.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations at this stage, and both suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.