NEW ORLEANS — A third suspect who police said was involved in a child exploitation investigation in Livingston Parish was arrested Saturday, WBRZ reported.
Sources told WBRZ, Melanie Curtin was charged with first-degree rape and video voyeurism. She was booked into the Livingston Parish Jail on Saturday morning.
In a December indictment of Cynthia and Dennis Perkins, Curtain was identified as "an unidentified adult female perpetrator," where the Perkins couple was charged with child porn, rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and video voyeurism, WBRZ said.
Curtin was arrested after returning from a cruise when the ship arrived in New Orleans. Curtin worked for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office in 2011 and 2012.
Cynthia, a public school teacher in Livingston Parish, and her sheriff's deputy husband Dennis were arrested in October when Cynthia was accused of serving food covered in bodily fluids to students at the school where she worked.
One parent told WBRZ that investigators said her child was given tainted food twice. There have been reports of videos of the children eating donuts and cup cake-like items that were tainted by bodily fluids.
A 44-page indictment said Dennis was charged with crimes including some that involved him "ejaculating on various pastries and into bottles of energy drinks," which were consumed by unsuspecting persons, WBRZ reported.
In December, the Perkins couple were both indicted on 150 total charges.
The sheriff released a statement about Curtin's previous employment at the sheriff's office.
"Melanie Curtin has not been employed with the Sheriff’s office since August 13, 2012. She worked for the Sheriff’s Office for roughly 18 months in the tax department. She terminated her employment with this office on August 13, 2012."
"At the time of the alleged crime for which she was arrested, she was not an employee of this office," the sheriff said.
Curtin is being held without a bond.
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