Officer Ernest Billiot Fired After Being Arrested on Sex Charges

Records show that the Delcambre Police officer who was arrested Monday on sex charges has a 1999 simple battery conviction, for which he was fired from the Jeanerette Police Department.

Ernest Billiot, 49, of Delcambre bonded out of jail Thursday night after a state police investigation led to his indictment and arrest on charges of sexual battery and malfeasance in office earlier this week.

The allegations against Billiot surfaced after a female motorist accused him of exhibiting criminal behavior when he stopped her while she was driving through Delcambre in the early-morning hours of Feb. 17, state police spokesman Trooper David Anderson said Thursday.

Billiot also has pending 2005 lawsuit against the city of Jeanerette and Mayor Arthur Verret that claims he was wrongfully terminated from the police department after 10 years of service.

The petition alleges that Verret had a personal vendetta against Billiot for arresting his grandson, Ben Boudreaux, and retaliated by getting him fired.

The petition states that Verret "initiated an evaluation of the Police department of Jeanerette and hired a consultant."

The consultant issued a report and made recommendations to Verret about changes that should be made to the department.

"One of the included recommendations was the terminating of Petitioner Ernest Billiot, due to the fact that Petitioner had a prior of conviction of Simple Battery," the petition states.

It was the opinion of the consultant that Billiot would not be able to carry a firearm to exercise his duties, thus resulting in the termination of Billiot, according to the lawsuit.

Billiot pleaded guilty to simple battery in June 1999.

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