Ridgecrest man charged with sex crime for second time

Published 12:50 am Sunday, February 5, 2017

 

RIDGECREST — For the second time in just more than a year, a Ridgecrest man has been charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Willie Fortune, 20, 304 Vidalia Drive, Ridgecrest, was charged Friday with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor.

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Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy David Hedrick said Fortune reportedly used a cell phone to coax a 15-year-old girl into meeting him to have sex.

Hedrick said he does not know where the meeting took place.

Fortune was charged last year on Jan. 16 for carnal knowledge of a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Hedrick said Fortune reportedly had sex with a 13-year-old girl in that incident. Hedrick said Fortune pleaded to a lower, misdemeanor charge in that case, and Fortune was serving probation.

Parents need to keep track of whom their children are communicating with, Hedrick said.

Hedrick said smartphone apps exist that enable parents to monitor their children’s social media activity, text messages and call log. Some of the apps include TeenSafe, MamaBear, Canary and My Mobile Watchdog.

“You might need to put one of those apps on there until they become responsible enough to know what is going on,” Hedrick said.

Fortune was in jail Saturday with no bond set.