Patterson pleads guilty to sex crime

A Caddo Parish man accused of raping an intoxicated neighbor whose children he was babysitting in June 2024 pleaded guilty to third-degree rape Monday, July 6, 2026, in Caddo District Court.

Robert Patterson, 29, pleaded guilty before Caddo District Judge Chris Victory, just as his trial was set to begin. Judge Victory sentenced Patterson to 15 years in prison at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Upon release, he also must register as a sex offender for life.

On June 17, 2024, the victim went to a neighborhood party after hiring Patterson to babysit her children. The woman was brought home by friends, because she was intoxicated and thought she also might have been drugged at the party. Patterson was still present when the woman's friends brought her into the residence, and he took advantage of her condition to rape her. DNA testing confirmed Patterson as the attacker, even though he denied touching her when he was interviewed by the police.

Assistant District Attorney Courtney N. Ray prosecuted Patterson, who was defended by Michael Enright.

The case was docket No. 405439.