Chataignier is a village of under 300 residents in Evangeline Parish, located in central Louisiana. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been documented in the communities and unincorporated areas of the Parish. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates result in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses.

Consequences for sex buyers have occurred in the village of Chataignier. For example, in July 2017, the City of Ville Platte and its police department faced a lawsuit involving the alleged actions of a City Marshall Deputy, in which the plaintiff alleged that the defendant forced her to have sex with another individual while he watched. According to the lawsuit, the man approached the victim while wearing his uniform and driving a Ville Platte marked vehicle for what she claimed was a date. The plaintiff alleges that the man repeatedly pressured her to have sex with other men and took her to purchase drugs and alcohol. After multiple attempts by the defendant, the victim acquiesced and had sex with one of the men. The man was eventually arrested for soliciting a prostitute and was released on bond. The officer was suspended from his role as vice president of the City Marshall’s Office and was also fired from his role as patrolman at the Chataignier Police Department. An investigation into the incident was conducted by local officials with help from the Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office.