A Louisiana foster parent who forced multiple children in his house to have sex with him for years was convicted of a slate of child molestation crimes Wednesday following a 10-day trial at the 19th Judicial District Courthouse.
A jury deliberated about three hours before finding Michael Lane Hadden guilty of three counts of sexual battery with minors, three counts of molestation of a juvenile and four counts of aggravated crimes against nature.
The 54-year-old Zachary man faces at least 25 years and up to 99 years in prison when he goes before District Judge Louise Hines Myers for sentencing on April 28, officials indicated.
“We are pleased with the effort by the jury’s attention to the evidence in this case and the time they took in their deliberations,” East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said in a statement following the verdict. “This case was complicated in many ways. Our courageous victims were some of the most vulnerable in society and we are pleased with the verdict, which was the just verdict not only for our survivors of these heinous acts but also for our community.”
Hadden was a Department of Child and Family Services foster parent who cared for children through the state’s foster program. According to court records, he raped and sexually abused several of his foster and adoptive children over the years.
The trial stemmed from allegations made by three of his foster kids that surfaced in 2022. The first victim came forward in January of that year, about two years after being removed from Hadden’s house. According to a civil lawsuit the child’s adoptive parents filed against Hadden and DCFS, the victim finally broke their silence in the days leading up to an adoption hearing. The civil suit, which remains ongoing, alleges DCFS’ negligence led to the agency’s failures in protecting the child.
Three months later, an autistic child who suffered from a severe mental health disorder reported sexual abuse to a high school social worker, arrest affidavits stated. The teen told a forensic investigator in June 2022 that Hadden inappropriately touched them , the warrant stated.
In May 2022, the third victim reported abuse about five weeks after being removed from Hadden’s house to live with different family members. The teen reported being forced to have sex with Hadden on numerous occasions, beginning in 2021.
Deputies said Hadden also forced the children to perform sexual acts on each other while he watched.
Investigators with law enforcement and DCFS were able to document and collect the delayed disclosures. The three victims testified about the abuse during this month’s trial, according to prosecutors.
“We appreciate the outstanding efforts of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office in their investigation in this case,” Moore said. “We are so proud of each of these vulnerable survivors for having to have the courage to share their abuse and work with us to present their accounts to the jury. We also want to commend the prosecution team and all of those that provided support to these individuals throughout the process. Their support assisted in these survivors being able to have their day in court.”
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