By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — Authorities in St. John are investigating allegations that a youth leader at Reserve Christian Church assaulted a 13-year-old church member several times over the past seven months, said a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Maj. Mike Tregre, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office, said Christopher D. Davis, 19, of 2401 Yorktowne Dr., LaPlace, was arrested and booked with indecent behavior and five counts of molestation of a juvenile after an investigation that was tipped off by an e-mail found by the boy’s mother.

Tregre said the boy’s mother told investigators that she had opened an e-mail message addressed to her son that included a picture of a naked man. Her son, whose name was not released in order to protect the family, later identified the man in the picture as Davis. The incident report said that the mother found the e-mail on Nov. 2 and contacted the Sheriff’s Office immediately.

According to Tregre, the boy told investigators that Davis, who worked as a youth leader at the church for the past 18 months, would assault him during car rides home from church. The incident report states that Davis would often drive the boy to and from church in his personal vehicle.

Pastors at Reserve Christian Church were not available for comment.

Davis was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility on Nov. 10 and released later that day after posting 10 percent of a $30,000 bond.

Tregre said that the investigation is ongoing in an effort to determine if there are other victims in this case. Anyone with any information should contact the St. John Sheriff’s Office at 985-652-9514. Detective Christie Murden is the lead investigator.