Zachary man accused of molesting foster children found guilty

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Zachary man accused of sexually abusing his foster children was found guilty during an April trial.

Michael Hadden, 54, was convicted of charges including sexual battery, molestation of a juvenile and aggravated crime against nature.

“We are pleased with the effort by the jury’s attention to the evidence in this case and the time they took in their deliberations. This case was complicated in many ways. Our courageous victims, were some of the most vulnerable in society and we are pleased with the verdict which was the just verdict not only for our survivors of these heinous acts but also for our community,” East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said in a statement Wednesday.

Hadden was arrested and charged in August 2022 after an investigation into alleged sexual assault involving three of his foster children. Court records show Hadden pleaded not guilty to charges in November 2022.

An affidavit stated that a teen victim told a social worker that his foster parent sometimes made him “feel uncomfortable” because “inappropriate things happen.” A Department of Children and Family Services case worker told deputies that the victim and his two siblings were taken into state custody.

Investigators learned that the victim had lived with Hadden from March 2017 to April 2022, except for some time in January 2021 when the victim was removed from the home by DCFS during another investigation. According to arrest documents, Hadden had previously been investigated by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for sexual assault.

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