Independence Man Arrested for Inappropriate Relationship with a Juvenile

INDEPENDENCE (February 6, 2026)- The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) has arrested an Independence man for having an inappropriate relationship with a teenager.

Chad Basso, 47, was booked on Thursday, February 5, on one count of Carnal Knowledgeof a Juvenile.

In the past few days, TPSO was alerted to allegations of sexual abuse involving Basso. Through the investigation, detectives determined that Basso met an individual online last year who was actually a 15-year-old from the parish. Basso was an area school teacher at the time, but the teen is not a student at the school where Basso is employed.

The investigation confirmed Basso and the teen eventually met in person and had a sexual relationship including interactions at Basso’s home. A warrant was then issued for Basso’s arrest and he was taken into custody this week.

This investigation is still ongoing and includes the full cooperation of theTangipahoa Parish School System.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker encourages parents to closely and consistently monitor their children’s activities and conversations on the internet, especially on social media.

TPSO PublicInformation Office, pio@tpso.org

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