John Lee Taylor found guilty of rape

A Shreveport man faces a life term in prison after a Caddo Parish jury convicted him of a first-degree rape two years ago.

The nine-woman, three-man jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.'s court deliberated less than two hours before returning its unanimous verdict against John Lee Taylor, 42, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. He will return for sentencing September 9, 2026. The mandatory life term must be served without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and requires lifetime registration as a sex offender.

After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, jurors determined that on May 8, 2024, the female victim, under 10 years old, woke up to find Taylor, a distant relative, lying on top of her committing a sex act. The girl called out to her sister, who was sleeping in an adjacent bed. The sister saw Taylor trying to pull his pants up before fleeing the room. The sister then called her mother, as she was staying at her grandmother’s house, who told her to call 911, which she did. Police responded and the victim and her sister were taken to the Gingerbread House Children’s Advocacy Center where both were interviewed within hours. The victim was then taken to a local hospital where a rape kit was collected.  DNA testing confirmed that the defendant’s DNA was found in the victim.

Jurors heard from the investigating officers, the forensic interviewer, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and a DNA expert. The victim’s siblings testified how Taylor  terrorized them as children, leaving them scared to walk alone through the house for fear that he would do something to them. They testified he had a history of exposing himself to the children and watching them shower. The children reported that the adults in the home knew of this behavior and did nothing. Taylor's mother testified she did not believe any of the children were telling the truth and that though she was asleep during the crime, she was positive he would not have done it. She also testified that she made sure not to leave the children alone with the defendant.

Taylor was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney N. Ray and Chase E. Burgess. He was defended by Harry Johnson and Silver Sanders.

The case was docket No. 401836.

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