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In Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, Crysta Abelseth was ordered to turn over custody of her teenage daughter. And to pay her accused rapist child support.

The story was first reported by WBRZ, a Baton Rouge television station. 

Abelseth was 16 years old when she met then 30-year-old John Barnes. She was at a bar with 2 friends in Hammond in 2005.

Abelseth told an interviewer that Barnes promised to give her a ride home from a local restaurant after a night out with 2 friends.

Instead, he took her to his house. And raped her on his living room couch. 

The next morning, she woke up naked on the bathroom floor.

Abelseth became pregnant. But she did not report the rape to the police at the time. "Everyone assumed it (the pregnancy) was from a boyfriend, and I let them believe that,” Abelseth told the TV station.

The teen had a daughter, who is now about the same age as Abelseth was when she got pregnant.

"When my daughter was five years old, he found out about her, and once he found out about her, he pursued custody and wanted to take her away from me," Abelseth told WBRZ. "They granted him 50-50 custody although [the child] was caused by rape."

When Barnes found out about the child he was quickly granted 50/50 custody. In an unusual move, the court did not order him to pay the 5 years of back child support. 

 According to court records, a DNA test shows that Barnes is the father. 

The police fail to investigate

John Barnes is the owner of Gumbeaux Digital Branding, a web company in Ponchatoula.  His firm has a contract with the local police department. His website showed them as a client, but that information was removed after the story was reported.

According to Abelseth, Barnes has told her repeatedly that he is “connected” and has friends in the justice system. 

In 2015, Abelseth discovered that the crime was still within Louisiana’s statute of limitations. So, she filed charges against Barnes for the rape.

In her report, she detailed the assault. And also claimed that Barnes threatened if she ever pressed charges, he would take the child away completely. And that he had been stalking and harassing her.

“He’s threatened me multiple times, saying he has connections in the justice system, so I better be careful, and he can take her away anytime he wants to. I didn’t believe him until it happened.”

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office never acted on the complaint.

“It was never assigned to a detective, and nothing was ever investigated,” Abelseth said.