Evangeline Parish is located in central Louisiana and has a population of about 32,000 residents. The parish seat is Ville Platte. 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.

In May 2017, a Ville Platte Deputy Marshal was arrested by Sheriff’s detectives in connection with a prostitution incident that occurred in Fenton. The man was accused of picking up a woman in Ville Platte, having sex with her, and then taking her to Fenton where she performed sex acts with other people for money. The man transported the woman to Fenton in an unmarked car that belonged to his employer, the Ville Platte City Marshal. He was arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution, with a bond set at $10,000.

In a separate case in July 2017, the City of Ville Platte and its police department faced a lawsuit involving the alleged actions of a City Marshal 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 claims 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 Marshal’s Office and was also fired from his role as patrolman at the Chataignier Police Department. An investigation into the incident was conducted by the city with help from the Evangeline Parish.