A woman who became pregnant after she was allegedly raped while underage lost custody and has been ordered to pay child support to her alleged rapist by a family court in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, in one of the most egregious cases victims’ advocates say they have ever seen, the WBRZ Investigative Unit reports.
According to the report, Crysta Abelseth was raped by 30-year-old John Barnes at 16, below the age of consent in Louisiana. Barnes found out about Abelseth’s pregnancy and daughter six years later when he started to pursue custody. Barnes was initially granted 50/50 custody and then, this year, granted full custody of his biological child even though the child was born of rape. Abelseth says that Barnes argued for full custody because he said she had given her teenage daughter a cell phone. The day after WBRZ’s investigation was published on June 12, Louisiana District Attorney Scott Perrilloux announced he would be reviewing the case.
4 Comments
There is no evidence that John Barnes raped this woman and you are irresponsibly stating it as fact. He has never been arrested or convicted of this “rape”. We are all innocent until proven guilty.
Do the math. He was 30. She was 16. A minor not legally able to give consent. He has been verified as the “father”. The daughter should never have been given over to that man. Oh, and when the mother found out she could still file a complaint for the rape, the police mishandled it and effectively lost the report for 10 freaking years.
she was below the age of consent, even if she did consent, its still statutory rape. When she is under the age of consent and he above it, its automatically rape. The DNA testing PROVES its his kid. ALL the evidence screams rape. There have been no criminal charges because he contracts for the local police! The evidence is there for all to see, he is guilty as hell. As for child support, she needs to file for support from him for all those years she had custody
She was not able to consent, so it is statutory rape. Consent is 17, she was 16 so he is guilty of rape