71-Year-Old Louisiana Man Arrested On 100 Counts Of Child Rape

A 71-year-old Louisiana man was arrested April 9 on 100 counts of first-degree rape in a case that a sheriff’s office said began in the early 1970s.

Harvey Joseph Fountain of Pineville, Louisiana, was arrested by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office on 50 counts of first-degree rape and days later additional victims were identified, leading to 50 more counts.

Fountain "perpetrated the sexually based crimes upon juveniles while at various locations that he resided, in the Pineville area," according to a press release. Pineville has a population of about 14,500 and is located in central Louisiana near Alexandria, which has a population over 150,000.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said that the allegations continued from the early 1970s to the early 1980s.

Lt. Stephen Phillips said that each of Fountain's alleged rape victims were under the age of 13.

There is no statute of limitations on first-degree rape charges in Louisiana. The punishment for aggravated rape when the victim is under the age of 13 is death or life imprisonment.

An official told International Business Times that Fountain remains in custody on $1 million bail.

The case will go before a grand jury.

The investigation is still ongoing with more arrests possible.