NEW ORLEANS—On October 30, 2017, former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer Marcellus White, pleaded guilty in Orleans Parish Court to five counts of sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.

During a joint investigation, the NOPD Special Victim’s Section Child Abuse Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New Orleans Civil Rights Task Force investigated allegations that then NOPD officer Marcellus White had sexually molested a number of young children in the New Orleans area.

White taught martial arts classes to under privileged children and served as a mentor to young boys within the community through a local organization. Through these classes and his position as a law enforcement officer, White gained the trust of both the parents and children who viewed him as a role model. White not only took advantage of his victims’ vulnerable status, he also molested them and stole their innocence.

On October 30, 2017, Marcellus White pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual battery of a child under 13 years of age 14:43.1(c) (2). White was sentenced to 25 years in state prison.

This matter was prosecuted by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.

The FBI New Orleans Civil Rights Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the NOPD and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.