A Slidell man has been arrested and accused of grooming and raping his girlfriend’s daughter.
Lemarkis Harry, 32, of Slidell, was charged with 16 counts of indecent behavior with juveniles and one count each of obstruction of justice, first-degree rape, and computer-aided solicitation of a minor, according to a report by Louisiana First News.
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office began investigating a possible sex crime involving a 12-year-old girl on March 4, 2026.
Investigators looked through the girl’s phone and found a Snapchat conversation about a rape kit and DNA , according to the sheriff’s office.
Those conversations were found to contain a different man than the one who started the initial investigation, according to Louisiana First News. The unidentified man then explained what a sexual assault kit was to the girl and let it be known that he did not want to go to prison.
According to Louisiana First News, a lewd video call involving Harry, which was sent to the girl, was found on the phone.
The sheriff’s office said the girl was able to identify Harry in a photo lineup and said she had been speaking with him on Snapchat for about two months and also had sex with him.
According to the sheriff’s office, the conversations on Snapchat were considered grooming.
Detectives found the device Harry was using to access Snapchat, and found messages that showed he told the girl he loved her, called her beautiful, and bought her gifts, according to the affidavit.
Records were also found that showed the girl gave Harry her home address. His car was seen on camera early the following morning heading back to Slidell, EBRSO said.
They were also found to have met again on a later date.
Harry was arrested on Sunday, May 10.
READ MORE:Slidell man arrested, accused of raping 12-year-old girl
