A 4-year-old girl was raped by a Louisiana man, who transmitted a disease to her during the disturbing assault. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Anthony Jelks Jr, was arrested on Monday morning when he reportedly turned himself in to the police, multiple days after police listed him as a wanted suspect.
Jelks has since been charged with first-degree rape and is being held at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. The rape incident occurred when the victim was allowed to stay overnight at Jelks’ residence on July 31 and returned home on August 1. However, his connection to the child is currently unclear.
Reports say that an adult noticed that the 4-year-old’s body had redness and irritation, sparking concern. The child was subsequently taken to the hospital for medical attention.
According to reports, the Baton Rouge Police Department was later alerted that a child was sexually assaulted by the staff at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital on August 5. On August 7, officers also responded to a report of child sexual assault at a home in the 5400 block of Jackson Avenue, per an arrest warrant.
Court documents also revealed that the child described the disturbing ordeal, saying that Jelks “pulled her pants down and got on top of her.” After a thorough examination of her injuries, the hospital confirmed that the victim tested positive for chlamydia.
An arrest warrant was issued for Jelks, and he was listed as wanted for reportedly raping a child and giving her a sexually transmitted disease. Multiple days after the police urged the public to report any sightings of Jelks, the BRPD Headquarters confirmed he turned himself in.
As detectives looked into Jelks’ background, they discovered he had a troubling history with minors. In November 2022, he was charged with indecent behaviour with juveniles after allegedly attempting to solicit sexually explicit photos and videos from a 9-year-old girl through Instagram.
Prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office signalled they could seek the harshest punishments available under the law if Jelks is found guilty, including the possibility of castration or even the death penalty.