HARVEY, La. -- A former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office employee was arrested for multiple counts of aggravated rape, sexual battery and pornography involving juveniles, according to the sheriff’s office.
John Cerniglia, who worked as an assistant supervisor in the National Crime Information Center until 2005, was arrested Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office, after a woman told police that Cernigilia had allegedly sexual abused her children.
The mother’s 12-year-old daughter told a JPSO detective that Cernigila allegedly started taking nude photos of her at the age of 5, according to the sheriff’s office.
“The girl stated Cerniglia began touching her in her private area and eventually had sex with her. She told detective Miles Cerniglia last had intercourse with her two weeks ago. According to the victim, Cerniglia told her he would 'blow his brains out' if she told anyone about the pictures,” said a statement from JPPO spokesman Glen Boyd.
The mother’s five-year-old daughter also told a JPSO detective that Cerniglia had allegedly inappropriately touched her, according to the sheriff’s office.
Wednesday, a “warrant was executed at Cerniglia’s residence and he acknowledged he knew why police were at his home. Cerniglia agreed to accompany investigators to the Investigations Bureau. That’s where Cerniglia made a recorded statement that he had consensual sex with the victim,” said Boyd.
According to the sheriff’s office, Cerniglia admitted to similar activities with at least three other young girls. “Detectives seized a large number of videotapes, several phone/camera memory devices, a large number of dvd discs, several cameras and computers” from Cerniglia’s home.
