Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal Upholds Rick Seaton’s Rape Conviction, Closes Door on New Trial

In an opinion handed down by Shreveport's Second Circuit Court of Appeal on Wednesday (April 10), convicted rapist Rick Seaton will remain in prison and not see a retrial. The court has upheld his prior conviction and sentence.

Seaton was found guilty last January of raping a teenage girl and abuse of office. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison two months later. The former assistant to the mayor has been lobbying to have his conviction overturned since then.

Seaton has maintained that his sexual encounter with the 18-year-old victim, identified only as "K.W.," was consensual:

I cheated on my marriage and that was wrong. For that I apologized in Divorce Court. I had sex with KW who I had just met and that was wrong. For that I have apologized in Court. I had sex in the workplace and that was wrong. For that I have apologized to Mayor Glover. I know that I made foolish decisions, but I did not violate the laws of the State of Louisiana. Foolish but not guilty.

You can read the full opinion from the Court of Appeal below.