Judge orders consecutive terms after no-contest plea to carnal knowledge and indecent behavior with juveniles.
PRAIRIEVILLE, La. — A Prairieville mother was sentenced Tuesday to 26 years in prison for felony sex crimes involving teenagers, including a 14-year-old boy, after admitting in court to multiple counts tied to sexual conduct and explicit messages, according to Ascension Parish authorities.
Prosecutors said the case centers on conduct that stretched across several months in 2024 and involved more than one teenager. Leeann Yammarino, 44, pleaded no contest in September to two counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. On Tuesday, a judge imposed the maximum punishment for each count and ordered the terms to run one after the other, not at the same time. The ruling caps a high-profile case that drew community attention because the victims were classmates in the local school community and because the defendant remained jailed after her 2024 arrest.
The sentencing followed a brief hearing in Ascension Parish court. Yammarino’s daughter addressed the judge and asked for “the maximum sentence,” describing how the case had fractured their family. Judge Keyojuan Gant-Turner then sentenced Yammarino to 10 years on each carnal knowledge count and three years on each indecent behavior count, all consecutive. Prosecutors alleged one victim, a 14-year-old boy, had sexual encounters with Yammarino between Jan. 1 and July 30, 2024. Investigators also said the defendant sent explicit photos and messages to other teenagers. Yammarino, who was taken into custody in August 2024 and did not bond out, will receive credit for time served under Louisiana law.
In court filings and statements, the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office outlined a timeline that began when a teenager reported sexual encounters and explicit messages to deputies last summer. Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives opened an investigation, interviewed multiple teens between ages 14 and 16, and collected digital evidence. The case resulted in two felony carnal knowledge counts and two indecent behavior counts that prosecutors pursued to sentencing. Officials said the terms were structured to reflect separate acts and victims. Authorities have not publicly identified the minors. Some details remain sealed because the victims are juveniles and the crimes involve sexual content.
Records show Yammarino entered her no-contest plea on Sept. 22, a move that allowed the court to sentence her as if convicted while avoiding a trial. The judge ordered a presentence investigation before Tuesday’s hearing. Under the sentence, Yammarino must register as a sex offender for 15 years after release, per the district attorney’s office. She was credited with time served since her August 2024 arrest. The court did not announce any fines in open court. The charges are not probation-eligible because the sentence is fixed to hard labor under state guidelines that address sex offenses against minors.
The case drew attention in Ascension Parish because it involved students from the same school community and alleged contact over social media. Deputies said messages and images were sent using mobile apps, and detectives traced communications to a timeframe aligned with the school year. Community members who attended the hearing said the courtroom was quiet as the judge read the sentence. “This has torn our family apart,” the daughter said in a short statement, adding that the harm extended beyond their home to friends who learned about the case. Court officers escorted the defendant back to jail immediately after the ruling.
As of Tuesday, Yammarino remains in the parish jail awaiting transport to state custody. Prosecutors said there are no other pending charges in this case following the plea and sentencing. Any post-conviction motions would be handled through routine filings and deadlines set by the court. The district attorney’s office said it considers the matter closed except for sex-offender registration and supervision requirements that begin upon release. Officials said they will issue notice if any appeal or modification is filed. A routine transfer to a state facility is expected after intake processing.
Author note: Last updated November 23, 2025.