Mt. Hermon man sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexual assault of 7-year-old girl | News

COVINGTON—District Attorney Collin Sims reports that 28-year-old Edward Devonta Taylor of Mount Hermon pleaded guilty on May 2, 2024, just days before his scheduled trial.

During his guilty plea, Taylor admitted to committing a sexual assault against a seven-year-old girl and obstructing justice by destroying or tampering with evidence related to the sexual assault. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison by District Judge Scott Gardner. If the defendant lives long enough to serve his sentence, he will be required to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life upon his release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Nicholson and Casey Allen.

In May 2022, the then 7-year-old girl reported to her mother that a man had “done something inappropriate” to her while she was visiting her friend. Her mother took her to St. Tammany Parish Hospital and told medical staff that her daughter had been sexually abused. Covington Police were notified, which led to the initiation of an investigation.

The victim told police that she went to a friend’s house to play and a man came in and told her to go to the bedroom. She said he forced her to lie on the floor and pull down her shorts. The man then sexually assaulted her. After attacking her, he told her to go to the toilet to wipe herself and not to tell anyone.

A forensic interview of the child was conducted at the Children’s Advocacy Center Hope House and he was medically examined at the Audrey Hepburn Care Center (Children’s Hospital). During the girl’s medical examination, biological evidence was collected through swab collection. The swabs were later submitted to the DNA lab at the coroner’s office. Analysis of the swabs revealed the presence of male genetic material that matched the defendant’s DNA profile.

The victim’s mother attended Taylor’s sentencing via Zoom and supported the sentencing conditions. The defendant has an unrelated sex trafficking case pending in Mississippi.