Westlake Man Charged with Rape, Indecent Behavior, & Pornography Involving a Juvenile

According to a media release, an anonymous call from the Department of Child & Family Services' tip line, lead the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office to conduct an investigation which in turn led to the arrest of John Michael Ward, 45, of Westlake, on June 17. Ward confirmed to detectives he's been molesting an 11-year-old girl since 2017 when she was 9 years old. He also told detectives he videoed the girl while she was nude on two separate occasions.

Ward was arrested and booked in the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with 10 counts of 1st-degree rape; 40 counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile; and 2 counts of pornography involving a juvenile. His bond is set at $640,000.