An Orleans Parish judge on Friday cut the bond for Joshua “Josh” Kagler, a New Orleans gospel singer and former high-school choir director, while ordering strict house arrest with GPS monitoring and a ban on any contact with children. The new bond was set at $1,625,000, but court records show Kagler remained jailed at the Orleans Justice Center after the hearing. A trial is scheduled to begin June 1, 2026.
Judge cuts bond, imposes monitoring
District Judge Leon Roche issued the ruling in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, adding the monitoring requirements and no-contact order as the case moves forward, according to NOLA.com. Prosecutors pushed the court to keep Kagler under tight restrictions, arguing he posed a risk to the alleged victim if given broader freedom of movement.
Prosecutors point to payments, rides and interviews
Prosecutors told the court the investigation began when the mother of a 16-year-old found sexually explicit messages and alerted police. Investigators say Kagler invited the teen to his home to smoke marijuana and later paid him for sexual activity. Reporting by WWL states that detectives collected Cash App transaction records, Uber receipts and a forensic interview in which the teen said Kagler paid him on multiple occasions.
Charges in the indictment
A bill of indictment charges Kagler with 11 counts. Those include five counts of trafficking of children for sexual purposes, four counts of sexual battery, one count of third-degree rape and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. The child trafficking counts carry mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole if he is convicted, according to NOLA.com.
Background: schools and music
Kagler has taught at several New Orleans schools, including Warren Easton Charter High School, McDonogh 35 and George Washington Carver, and has been a familiar face on the local gospel circuit. Local coverage also notes that he and his group, Harmonistic Praise Crusade, were credited on the 2025 Grammy-winning album Church, a high-profile credit that helped boost his standing in New Orleans’ music community, per WWL.
Defense and next steps
At the bond hearing, Kagler’s attorney, Bradley Phillips, argued that the Cash App transfers cited by investigators could have been payments for marijuana rather than for sex, and asked the judge to consider a tightly controlled release instead of continued detention. The court set a June 1, 2026, trial date, and the coming weeks are expected to involve pretrial motions and arrangements for any GPS-monitored release.
What officials are asking
Investigators say the case remains active and are urging anyone with information to contact the NOPD Sex Crimes Unit. Local outlets report that detectives have reviewed financial records, ride-share receipts and forensic interview materials as part of their work. Court and detention records show Kagler was still listed at the Orleans Justice Center as authorities move to formalize any monitoring plan.
