A Harahan man is being held on a $3 million bond after prosecutors said a teenager came forward this summer and reported years of sexual abuse that she says began when she was just 6 years old. Authorities allege the assaults happened at several locations across Jefferson Parish and continued into her middle school years.
According to NOLA, court filings and investigators say the girl first confided in a relative in July 2025, then later provided more detailed statements about abuse that she said started around age 6. The records show 44-year-old Harahan resident Mario Sorto Selva now faces multiple felony counts, including two counts of first-degree rape of a victim under 13, two counts of sexual battery of a victim under 13 and two counts of indecent behavior with juveniles under 13.
A press release from the U.S. Marshals Service states that federal officers arrested Sorto-Selva in New Orleans on July 31, 2025, near a bar on Frenchmen Street, acting on a warrant from the New Orleans Police Department Special Victims Unit. The release says investigators identified Sorto-Selva as a native of El Salvador who has lived in the United States since 2008.
What the charges mean
Louisiana law treats sex crimes against very young children as some of the most severe offenses on the books. La. Rev. Stat. § 14:42 defines first-degree rape to include sexual intercourse with a child under 13 and mandates life imprisonment at hard labor without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. For sexual battery involving a victim under 13, La. Rev. Stat. § 14:43.1 sets enhanced penalties that range from 25 to 99 years in prison.
On top of that, the U.S. Supreme Court has drawn a constitutional line on punishment in such cases. In Kennedy v. Louisiana, the Court held that the death penalty cannot be imposed for the rape of a child when the crime does not result in the victim's death.
Timeline and next steps
Court records and sheriff's investigative reports reviewed by NOLA indicate the alleged victim first disclosed the abuse in July 2025. Investigators then brought their findings to Jefferson Parish magistrate court, where prosecutors outlined the case during recent hearings.
At the bond hearing, prosecutors pointed to the New Orleans arrest and the scope of the allegations in urging the judge to set bond at $3 million. Sorto-Selva is being held while the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office prepares the case for the next stages in court.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Task Force or the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. The U.S. Marshals Service press release lists a tip line and email address for leads. Local victim-services organizations are also available to support survivors as the case moves through the legal system.
