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Mandeville man sentenced to 60 years for sexual assault of 65-year-old woman
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COVINGTON — A 50-year-old Mandeville man will spend 60 years in prison without the possibility of parole for sexually assaulting an elderly woman inside her home in 2021, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Arthur James White pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexual battery of a victim over 65 years of age. State District Judge Tara Farris Zeller handed down the 60-year sentence on Wednesday.
Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested White on May 29, 2021, after responding to an early morning emergency call at a Mandeville residence. Arriving deputies discovered the 65-year-old victim hiding behind bushes in a neighbor’s yard.
Investigators said the woman was sleeping on her couch when White forced himself on top of her and shoved a cloth into her mouth to silence her screams before assaulting her. She was treated and evaluated at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, and deputies arrested White at the scene.
During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, the victim confronted White directly in an emotional impact statement.
"I thank God I'm here to make this statement. Five years, 5 months ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to see this person standing over me - next thing I know, he's on top of me. I said Stop. I tried to scream. He shoved a rag down my throat," she told the court. "I remember you telling me when you were on top of me...you said, 'I'm doing this because I'm going to prison for the rest of my life anyway.' Today I'm saying to you...Yes, you are. You raped me."
Prosecutors also presented a written statement from a second woman targeted by White more than a decade ago, which was read aloud by the district attorney’s victim assistance coordinator.
"Today's 60-year sentence ensures that a dangerous predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs," District Attorney J. Collin Sims said, commending both women for their courage.
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