Guilty verdict in 2017 case of kidnapping and attempted rape of Folsom librarian

FOLSOM, La. (WGNO)— A Franklinton man has been found guilty in the 2017 kidnapping case of a Folsom Library employee in St. Tammany Parish.

On Tuesday (Jan. 17), District Attorney Warren Montgomery reported that 21-year-old Kessler King was found guilty on a charge of second-degree kidnapping. He was considered a minor at the time of the crime.

The incident happened on Aug. 15, 2017. The unidentified female victim reported an attempted rape to the Folsom Police Department. The victim described the incident:

“The defendant had asked her to show him a book. After she led him to the corner of the library, he grabbed her from behind by wrapping an arm around her neck and dragging her backwards towards the bathroom, causing her shoes to fall off in the process. As he dragged her, he used his free hand to grab at her body and mouth as she screamed for help. As the defendant struggled to open the door of the bathroom, the victim bit the defendant and was able to escape. At trial, the victim testified that she knew she would be raped if he got her into the bathroom.”

The victim broke free, and ran shoeless to a fellow librarian. She suffered a busted lip, scratches, and bruises but declined medical attention.

Arresting officers discovered zip ties fashioned into “flex cuffs” near the chair King was sitting in. During a search, police found King in possession of a fixed-blade knife. Court records revealed King admitted that he thought the victim was the only person in the building and attempted to get her into the bathroom.

A search of the computer King used at the library showed he looked up that morning “how many years in jail for rape.” King’s defense team attempted to plead insanity but an expert witness who conducted a psychiatric examination determined that King “knew right from wrong.”

Assistant District Attorney Christina Fisher instructed the jury to follow the law, saying that “sympathy for the defendant shouldn’t influence their decision.”

Sentencing is set for March 8. King faces between five and 40 years in prison.