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Investigators: Former teacher re-arrested for pornography involving juveniles

Posted at 11:36 AM, Jul 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-03 11:34:36-04

A former Calcasieu Parish high school teacher has been re-arrested on pornography involving juveniles charges following a May arrest for allegedly having a sexual relationship with one of his students. 

Officers say 54-year-old James P. Gaharan, Jr of Lake Charles, was arrested in May after an investigation revealed that sometime between January and April, Gaharan and a teenage student allegedly engaged in sexual activity at his home as well as another location in Calcasieu Parish. According to officials, it was also learned Gaharan engaged in explicit conversations with the student on an adult website.

After the investigation, the case was turned over to the District Attorney’s Office. On May 24, 2018, Gaharan was indicted by a Calcasieu Parish Grand Jury and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  He was arrested at his home and booked into the Calcasieu Parish Jail on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, and obstruction of justice. His bond was set at $130,000. 

Gaharan was no longer employed with the Calcasieu Parish School Board following his arrest, according to a release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

After his arrest, detectives executed a search warrant on his residence and seized multiple computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. The seized items were sent to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Computer Forensic Unit for examination and upon completion of the search of the items, detectives found pornographic images of juveniles that had been downloaded on a device from the internet, according to the release.  

On July 25, detectives obtained a warrant for Gaharan’s arrest in the amount of $750,000 signed by Judge Michael Canaday. The next day Gaharan was located at his residence and arrested. He was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Jail on charges of pornography involving juveniles (five counts).