Former mayor Longanecker pleads guilty to child porn, animal cruelty
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GONZALES - The former Mayor of Sorrento, Wilson Longanecker Jr. pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to possessing child porn and animal cruelty in an Ascension Parish Courtroom.
Longanecker's deal for his guilty plea to all 50 charges gets him 40 years behind bars, according to authorities. He will receive credit for time served, and could be considered for parole after ten years.
He was arrested in October of 2014, after investigators raided his home and said they found child pornography on his computer. The animal cruelty charges came later, after further investigation. Those charges were added after investigators said they found pictures and videos of Longanecker torturing animals.
Longanecker's tenure as mayor was rife with controversy. He was absent from his job for nearly six months after taking medical leave. It caused plenty of issues, and many people in Sorrento pushed for more transparency.
Longanecker has been locked up since his arrest on a more than $1 million bond. His attempts to have it reduced back in 2014 were denied.
Wilson Longanecker Jr. now leaving the Ascension Parish Courthouse @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/M4HlZIokS5
— Michael Vinsanau (@MVinsanau) January 19, 2016