Morse, LA

Tactics Used

Auto Seizure
Buyer Arrests
Cameras
Community Service
Employment Loss
Identity Disclosure
IT Based Tactics
John School
Letters
License Suspension
Neighborhood Action
Public Education
Reverse Stings
SOAP Orders
Web Stings

Morse is a village in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, with a population of approximately 600. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area. Prostitution activity has been well-documented in the area, and among the more serious crimes associated with the local commercial sex market is sex trafficking. For example, in February, 2021, a man was arrested and faced kidnapping and human trafficking charges after authorities say he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old runaway from Acadia Parish and tried to prostitute her for gas money. the man allegedly picked up the girl from her Acadia Parish home and brought her to Lake Charles, where the alleged sexual abuse took place. Detectives say the man asked the girl “to have sex with other men” so he could get gas money. Detectives also said the man left the teen at a casino while he went to work and asked her to prostitute herself while he was away.

Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies as a strategy for prevention and response. Demand reduction tactics used in the town include the arrest of sex buyers and the public disclosure of their identities. For example, in September, 2019, Morse police arrested a man on several charges related to narcotics possession and solicitation of prostitution.  The Morse Police Chief announced that the man was arrested without incident at his home and was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail on a $86,000 bond. He also remained a person on interest in the investigation into the the murders of eight women between 2005 and 2009. The man, a former strip club owner, reportedly knew all the victims and was named as a person of interest, but he was never charged in connection with any of the murders.

Key Partners

  • Morse Police Department
State Louisiana
Type City
Population 592
Location
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