COVINGTON – People who knew, and in some cases, worked for former St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain were expressing shock and sadness Thursday over news that he was being investigated into allegations that he sexually abused four teenagers.
An Eyewitness News / New Orleans Advocate report Wednesday said that sources told them that Strain, who also appears to be a target in a federal probe into a former work release program that he supervised, was accused of the abuse.
Current St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith, who took on Strain in the recent election for sheriff, said that he was shocked but that he had known of the allegations for a while.
Story continues under video of original report by Katie Moore
“The federal investigators in this case (the work release case) had mentioned during the investigation that they were also looking into the motive as to why this public corruption bribery case took place with the work release program in Slidell and possibly even Covington.”
Smith indicated that the bribery allegations could go to motive.
Ex-Covington police chief Tim Lentz was once the chief deputy under Strain. He said that he too was shocked at the news and said that his former boss needs to be investigated and, if they turn out to be true, he should be held accountable.
Some of the sexual abuse allegations involve incidents that would have happened while Strain was sheriff, with others pre-dating his time in elected office.
No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed in the case. If charges are brought about the sexual abuse allegations, those would come from the St Tammany Parish District Attorney’s office, separate and apart from any public corruption charges levied by federal prosecutors.
Strain’s attorney, Billy Gibbens, said he did not want to comment.