Prosecutors say they aren't entertaining any plea deals from a Carencro man charged raping a 5-year-old boy and exposing the child to the AIDS virus.
Conwell Cormier, 29, appeared before 15th Judicial District Judge Thomas Duplantier on Monday via video conference, court records show. During the short hearing, he waived formal arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Court records say the victim had turned 5 around the time the attack occurred around Jan. 1.
Cormier was arrested April 1 on a warrant by Lafayette deputy marshals after a three-month investigation into allegations that the boy was sexually assaulted in the 200 block of Beau Basin Road.
Cormier was arrested for aggravated rape, then, days later, was also charged with causing intentional exposure to the AIDS virus, according to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.
According to Louisiana law, the penalty for aggravated rape is death or life in prison with no parole. The maximum penalty for exposing someone to AIDS is up to 10 years in prison at hard labor.
Cormier is in the Lafayette Parish jail on a $1 million bond. He is represented by Royale Colbert, of Lafayette.
