In December 2022, The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding alleged improper communications with a minor.
The initial complainant advised that Dakota Lucas Woodard, 28, Rosepine, was utilizing social media to contact a 14 year old juvenile. Woodard was previously convicted in 2019 of a Tier 3 Sex Offender crime, and was required by law to register all social media accounts, but had failed to register.
In January 2023, a second complaint was called in to the VPSO concerning the same party soliciting sexual contact in person from two juveniles ages 11 and 12. Following the interaction with Woodard the juveniles reported the incident to their grandmother, who then notified the VPSO.
In May of 2023, Woodward was located and arrested for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and bond was set at $50,000. Following the initial arrest, Woodard was interviewed regarding the two complaints, and rearrested for two counts of Indecent Behavior With a Juvenile. Bond was set for those two charges at $100,000. At this time Woodard remains in jail.
This investigation is ongoing.