A St. Tammany Parish parent scrolling through a teen's phone ended up triggering a sex-crime case that now has a 42-year-old man facing multiple counts and out on bond while the courts catch up.
Authorities identified the suspect as Orry Mejia. Court and booking information state that he posted a $75,000 bond and has been released pending further proceedings.
- According to a report by WDSU, a parent said that in 2024 she found what she believed were sexual messages between her daughter and Mejia on the teen's phone. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified in 2025. Detectives initially concluded there was not enough probable cause to make an arrest, but the victim later disclosed new information that investigators say supported a warrant for Mejia's arrest.
A pattern of investigations on the north shore
The case lands amid a string of child-exploitation investigations on the Northshore, where state and local agencies have been teaming up this year on multi-agency operations that tend to unfold over months rather than days. Coverage of a February sting in Lacombe shows how state police, the FBI and local departments often coordinate long-running probes into alleged online grooming.
Booking records and custody
Public booking records list Mejia as having been booked on May 1, 2026, into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center, with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office noted as the arresting agency. The records list charges that include sexual battery and indecent behavior with a juvenile and show bond set at $75,000, according to a booking entry posted by RecentlyBooked.
Charges and what’s next
Prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges and set an initial court date. At this stage, the counts remain allegations and Mejia is presumed innocent. Local reporting states that Mejia faces two counts of felony sexual battery, one count of misdemeanor sexual battery and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, according to WDSU.
How to report tips
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office or submit a tip through the agency’s website. The sheriff’s office also maintains an online inmate roster and additional reporting resources. The tip portal and roster can be accessed via the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office website.
