METAIRIE, La. — A former priest has pleaded guilty to drugging and molesting as many as 17 men that he met in the French Quarter and drove to his Metairie home, according to a press release from the Jefferson Parish District Attorney.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and banned from contacting 12 of his victims for the rest of his life.
Stephen Sauer, 61, had admitted to offering men he met in the French Quarter help and drugging them, then taking them back to his home in the 4700 block of Purdue Drive.
Sauer formerly served as the executive director of ARC of Greater New Orleans, a non-profit that aids the mentally disabled.
After taking his victims to his Metairie home, Sauer would then photograph or videotape the unconscious men while molesting some of them and pleasuring himself. Sauer would give them rides to their hotels or other locations the following morning.
JSPO said that Sauer had been sharing images with others through a website or via email, and that many of his victims were visiting New Orleans from out of state.
In June 2021, Sauer sent a computer hard drive to an electronics repair company in New York. A technician at the company found hundreds of images sexual assault taking place, and New York law enforcement officials determined they were taken in Metairie.
Detectives also believe that there are more than 50 additional victims who are unidentified. Some of the victims were identified because Sauer took pictures of their driver's licenses.
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