An Iota man will serve 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a juvenile.

Kyle Jacob Lakey, 27, was sentenced after pleading guilty to 10 counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile in May in the 31st Judicial District Court in Jennings.

District Court Judge Steve Gunnel recently sentenced Lakey to three years at hard labor with the Department of Corrections on three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, for a total of 30 years. Lakey will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

Lakey’s wife, Keegan Miller, 24, was also sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. She was sentenced to five years which was suspended and placed on three years of supervised probation. She will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

“I am very pleased to see the justice system working in our parish,” District Attorney Lauren Heinen said. “This case is a major win for our parish, the survivor of these crimes, and our justice system as a whole.

“This individual needed to be in jail for a long time, and because of the bravery of the survivor in this case, he will be in jail where he cannot hurt anyone else,” she continued.

Heinen, who prosecuted the case, also thanked the Jennings Police Department for their dedication to investigating the case, along with Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Pamela Fruge, who works to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors are always heard.

A child advocacy center reported the incident to police in 2022.

The unidentified victim told investigators she began being sexually abused by Lakey when she was 13 years old. The abuse continued until the victim was 15 years old.

The case was investigated by Deputy Chief Nathaniel Anderson of the Jennings Police Department.