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Preston Chenier, 46, was arrested earlier this week in Louisiana and awaits extradition to Galveston County, where he will be charged with aggravated sexual assault, according to Det. Matthew Cypert of the La Marque Police Department.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working hard to expedite the testing of rape kits following several high-profile cases where kits went untested for months.
A report from the Louisiana Statistical Analysis Center found that 5,508 sexually-oriented criminal offenses were reported to the state in 2022 but only 1,168 rape kits were received. In 2022, Louisiana had 711 sexual assault kits in the backlog.
A bill is advancing in the legislature that would allow for survivors of rape to track their rape kits. One state senator hopes this will help address the backlog in the state crime lab.
Bill to test rape kits by 30 days failed this legislative session, and advocates say it's time lawmakers put victims first.