CHATTANOOGA MAN CHARGED WITH STATUTORY RAPE, SEX EXP OF A MINOR
Release Date: 3/1/2010
March 1, 2010 Contact: Marian O'Briant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chattanooga man charged with statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor
Blount County Sheriff James L. Berrong announced that a Chattanooga man has been charged with statutory rape and sexual exploitation of a minor today after he was caught with a 15-year-old Blount County girl.
David Mark Leleaux, 24, of Chattanooga, is in custody at the Blount County Detention Facility on bonds totaling $65,000 bond pending a hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. March 5.
At around 5:30 Sunday morning, Blount County Sheriff's deputies spotted a suspicious vehicle parked at a location on East Lamar Alexander Parkway. When the deputies approached the vehicle, they found Leleaux inside. He told the deputies that he had come to Blount County to visit his cousin. After further investigation by deputies and detectives, Leleaux admitted that he came to Blount County to meet a 15-year-old girl that he had been corresponding with on My Space. The girl was not with him at the time, but both admitted during interviews that they had sexual contact earlier.
A forensic sweep by investigators of the HEAT (Hi-tech Evidence and Technology) Unit of the hard drive of Leleaux's computer revealed several images of child pornography.
