According to our partners at The Advocate, the federal trial schedule for a former teacher from St. Thomas More, accused of soliciting a minor for a sexual video, has been pushed to early 2024. This delay comes after he engaged a new attorney and sought additional time to secure an expert for the case.
Jacob De La Paz made a legal shift on Oct. 30, parting ways with his initial attorney, Joseph W. Burke of Lake Charles. Following this, Lafayette-based lawyer Kevin Stockstill took the reins as his legal representative, as indicated by court records.
De la Paz is confronted with a charge of attempted production of child pornography in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Allegedly, federal agents assert that he forwarded a video to a teenage girl, whom he tutored, requesting her to record sexual acts.
Stockstill, representing De La Paz, and the accused individual jointly requested the trial's postponement. This was to facilitate hiring an expert specializing in digital forensic investigations. The aim was for this expert to scrutinize the data involved in the case and testify during the trial. Stockstill asserted in a court filing that this expert's input is crucial for mounting a thorough defense for De La Paz.
To read the full story from our partners at The Advocate, you can click here.
