October 21, 2026
Louisiana Man Arrested on 510 Counts of Sex Crimes Against Children, Including First-Degree Rape
Headline card by The Night Desk
Louisiana Man Arrested on 510 Counts of Sex Crimes Against Children, Including First-Degree Rape
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Wednesday that her office has arrested a 33-year-old Pioneer man on 510 criminal counts involving alleged sexual offenses against children — including 10 counts of first-degree rape.
Shayne Austin Stewart, of Highway 585 in Pioneer, was taken into custody on September 30 after an investigation by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office. Investigators say Stewart photographed and videotaped himself raping at least two children younger than 8 years old.
The charges
According to the Attorney General's office, Stewart faces:
- 10 counts of first-degree rape (La. R.S. 14:42)
- 145 counts of production of child sexual abuse material (La. R.S. 14:81.1)
- 355 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (La. R.S. 14:81.1)
How he was caught
LBI special agents began assisting the West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office on September 29 with an investigation into Stewart for possible crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Agents obtained an arrest warrant and launched a multi-jurisdiction search.
On September 30, with the assistance of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Police Department, Stewart was taken into custody at a hotel in Hattiesburg. He was booked into the Forrest County Jail in Mississippi before being extradited to the West Carroll Parish Correctional Center in Louisiana.
"My heart breaks for these young victims"
"My heart breaks for these young victims! This is why the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force exists," Attorney General Murrill said in announcing the arrest. "I have offered my assistance to District Attorney Penny Douciere, and I'm confident he will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
Murrill credited Sheriff Scott Mathews and the West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office, the Hattiesburg Police Department, and her office's Fugitive Apprehension Unit.
No bond has been set. The investigation remains ongoing, and the Attorney General's office asks anyone who believes they know someone who may have been victimized by Stewart to contact the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation.
All charges are allegations. All persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: Louisiana Office of the Attorney General, EIN Presswire (AG press release)
Source: Louisiana Office of the Attorney General — read the original report
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