Newly elected Louisiana coroner Christopher Tape faces calls to resign over allegations he sexually abused seven-year-old girl while belting her for ‘punishment’ in 2001
- Christopher Tape is under pressure to resign over 2001 allegations
- He was recently elected coroner of St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana
- The child abuse charges against him were dropped due to delays in the start of the trial
A newly elected coroner in Louisiana is under pressure to resign over resurfaced allegations from 2001, when he was accused of child sex abuse but never brought to trial.
Dr. Christopher Tape will take office as St. Tammany Parish coroner this month after running unopposed for the role, which investigates violent crimes, including sexual assault.
But city council members are calling for his resignation over alarming decades-old allegations that he beat his then-girlfriend’s seven-year-old daughter as “punishment” and touched the girl inappropriately.
In 2001, Tape was charged with six counts of third-degree criminal sexual contact with a minor in New Mexico, according to court documents obtained by WVUE TV.
These charges were ultimately dismissed by a judge after prosecutors delayed the trial for seventeen months, violating Tape’s constitutional right to a speedy trial.
Christopher Tape is seen in 2001 when he was charged with six counts of third-degree criminal sexual contact with a minor in New Mexico
Slidell City Councilman Trey Brownfield (above) has called for Tape’s resignation and expressed shock at the allegations that surfaced after last summer’s election
Now, community members and local elected officials are raising concerns about the allegations and calling for Tape to resign.
The Slidell City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday calling on Tape to resign.
“I was completely shocked that this came out,” said Councilman Trey Brownfield, who introduced the resolution WWL TV.
“It’s worrying that the case wasn’t taken up before he got his job at the coroner’s office, but here we are, and we have to see where we are now,” he added.
“The job of the coroner in St. Tammany Parish is to protect those who have been sexually abused. We need those people to feel comfortable,” Brownfield said.
‘We need those people who are open and honest and who do not feel like they are not being heard in any way.’
A message seeking comment from Tape through the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office was not immediately returned Friday.
Court records from the New Mexico case show that Tape’s then-girlfriend told police he had inappropriately touched her 7-year-old daughter.
The girl told investigators that Tape would remove her underwear, hit her with a belt and touch her inappropriately.
Tape (above) will take office this month as St. Tammany Parish coroner after running unopposed for the role, which investigates violent crimes, including sexual assault.
Police say Tape confirmed in a written statement that he used a belt on his girlfriend’s daughter at least twice “to discipline her.”
However, he denied touching her in an inappropriate or sexual manner.
Tape said his girlfriend told him he could discipline her daughter and that he “felt he was within her mother’s standard.”
The judge ultimately dismissed all charges, saying prosecutors had delayed the case for too long, which was unfair to Tape and violated his right to a speedy trial.
“As a defendant, you have the right to confront the accusers and put an end to it. They can’t just drag it out,” WVUE-TV legal analyst Joe Raspanti told the newspaper.
“This case should never have been tried on the merits,” Raspanti noted.
“Did he do something wrong or not?” he added. “They never got around to submitting witnesses and evidence about what he did or didn’t do.”