Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrests In Viral Child Assault Case

LAFAYETTE, La. — Three people have been arrested in connection with a disturbing viral video showing an 11-year-old Lafayette Parish girl being beaten circulated widely across social media and sparked outrage throughout Acadiana.

According Public Information Officer Valerie Ponseti with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, the arrests are connected to an investigation into an incident in which multiple children allegedly assaulted the young girl while an older individual directed or encouraged the attack.

Authorities confirmed that three people were taken into custody in connection with the case when authorities initially responded. The sheriff's office has not yet released the identities of those arrested or the charges they face.

Investigators say the case remains active and additional arrests are possible.

Viral Video Sparked Community Outrage

The case first gained widespread public attention after videos of the assault began circulating online earlier this month.

The footage appeared to show an 11-year-old girl being repeatedly attacked by several children while others watched and recorded the incident.

Screengrab via Krista Stevens[/caption]The videos quickly spread across Facebook and other social media platforms, prompting calls for law enforcement to act. Ponseti told us that by the time the videos went viral, action was already taken.

Other details and developments are still not publicly available as the investigation is ongoing.

Mother Alleged Child Was Held For Hours

Following the video's release, the victim's mother publicly shared details about what she says happened to her daughter.

According to her account, the child was allegedly abused and assaulted for several hours and was prevented from contacting her family for help.

Screengrab via Krista Stevens[/caption]She claimed her daughter eventually managed to use another person's phone to secretly call her and provide the location where she was being held.

The mother also alleged that firearms were present inside the residence and that her daughter was threatened if she spoke about what had happened.

Those allegations have not been independently confirmed by investigators.

Sheriff's Office Says Investigation Continues

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office previously confirmed an open investigation and indicated that other arrests were expected as detectives gathered evidence and conducted interviews.

Investigators have not indicated whether those arrested are adults, juveniles, or a combination of both.

Get our free mobile app

Additional Arrests Possible

Sheriff's officials say the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests could follow as detectives continue reviewing evidence and identifying everyone involved.

Anyone with additional information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.