A former Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputy who served as a resource officer at a Metairie Catholic school has pleaded guilty to sending sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old girl he met while she was a student there. James Traylor, 58, entered guilty pleas on October 8 to indecent behavior with a juvenile and obstruction of justice, closing out a case that began when a friend of the girl alerted her parents to the relationship last year.
Traylor appeared before Judge Adrian Adams of the 24th Judicial District Court, who sentenced him to two years in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, according to WWL Louisiana. The judge also ordered Traylor to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release, and a protective order was issued for the victim. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 15:544, the general registration period is 15 years, while a person convicted of a sexual offense against a minor must register for 25 years. The law’s 10-year reduction provision also requires completion of an appropriate sex-offender treatment program, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
A Trusted Figure Known as Officer Jimmy
Traylor served as a deputy and school resource officer for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, retiring from full-time duty in 2022 after 34 years on the force. He worked as a school resource officer at St. Angela Merici Elementary School in Metairie, per NOLA.com. Even after his retirement, Traylor remained an active reserve deputy.
The victim had already graduated from St. Angela Merici by the time the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office opened its investigation, the station's report notes. Traylor and the girl met in person at the Bonnabel Boat Launch on two occasions in late March 2025, with hugging reported at those meetings but no sexual activity. A friend of the girl told her parents about the situation, and the matter was reported to the sheriff's office soon after.
Thousands of Messages and Explicit Requests
Prosecutors said Traylor and the girl exchanged more than 4,000 messages through Snapchat and Facebook, and that authorities believe Traylor encouraged the girl to use Snapchat specifically because its messages auto-delete. Among the texts cited by prosecutors was one in which Traylor wrote, “I want to you to have your way with me in the hot tub,” and messages that included kissing and tongue emojis, per the same account.
At a bail hearing, prosecutors disclosed that Traylor also sent messages asking the girl for photos of herself in the shower and texted her, “sit on my lap and wrap your arms and legs around me,” according to a separate WWL-TV report. Assistant District Attorney Tonia Williams said Traylor was also accused of asking the girl to send nude photos and photos of herself in a bikini. Traylor was charged and booked on one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor, and he allegedly tried to erase data from his phone and iPad, an attempt detailed by NOLA.com.
Judge Cited Breach of Trust in Bail Fight
Traylor was initially held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna following his March 2025 arrest, and he later sought a reduction of his $350,000 bail. Jefferson Parish Criminal Commissioner David Wolff denied that motion in April 2025, stating that Traylor represented the protection parents steer their children toward and had violated that trust, according to coverage in The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com. At the time of his arrest, Traylor was living in Mandeville, in St. Tammany Parish across Lake Pontchartrain from Jefferson Parish.
The case falls under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:81, which defines indecent behavior with juveniles to include the electronic transmission of lewd textual communications to anyone reasonably believed to be under 17 when the sender is at least two years older, per Justia. After Traylor's arrest, representatives for the Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to comment publicly on the allegations. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Special Victims Section also publicly asked anyone with additional information or potential complaints regarding Traylor to come forward following his booking.
