Houma man convicted of raping relative under 13

Twelve jurors watched as a Houma man admitted to investigators that he raped his relative and said he didn’t get enough sex. The jury convicted him in about an hour.

Kirk Carbajal was convicted of first-degree rape and aggravated crimes against nature by Judge Randal Bethancourt on May 8 after a three-day trial in the Houma courtroom. First-degree rape carries a life sentence and motions for a retrial will be filed July 10.

The victim was a child and a close relative who lived with Carbajal. It is the Houma Courier’s policy not to name victims of sex crimes.

“Remember, he said, ‘I didn’t want to leave my house and cheat on my wife,'” prosecutor Patti Floyd said in her closing argument. She recited Carbajal’s words from a recorded interview. “I’m glad he cared so much about his wife.”

Floyd argued to jurors that the evidence showed the child was raped from age 6 until she was at least 14 when investigators stepped in, but that he only had to prove one count to convict.

Detective Lawrence Arceneaux Jr. was the lead investigator who interviewed Carbajal. Video footage of the interview showed a seemingly nervous Carbajal speaking to detectives shortly before he signed that he understood his rights. He told police that he had not taken his psychotropic medication that morning and had asked for a cigarette at least three times.