Hattiesburg Man, 71, Charged With Sexual Battery Involving Lafayette County Minor

Auster Porter, 71, of Hattiesburg, was arrested and charged with sexual battery involving a Lafayette County minor after Oxford Police Department detectives investigated the allegation and Hattiesburg Police took him into custody.

Child Protective Services set the case in motion on March 13, 2026, notifying OPD detectives about a potential sexual assault involving a minor. Oxford detectives investigated, identified Porter as the suspect, and Hattiesburg Police then made the arrest, transporting Porter to the Lafayette County Detention Center.

The case required active coordination among three separate agencies: OPD, the Hattiesburg Police Department, and Lafayette County Detention. That interplay between municipal departments in different cities and a county facility is a standard procedural feature when suspects in an Oxford investigation are located in another jurisdiction, requiring the investigating agency to rely on local officers to execute the arrest and handle transport.

No bond amount or initial court appearance date has been publicly released. The case moves next into Lafayette County's prosecution system, where a grand jury will decide whether to return an indictment. Arraignment and bond hearings would follow any formal charges from the district attorney's office.

Sexual battery involving a minor ranks among the most serious criminal matters handled by Lafayette County Circuit Court. Consistent with Mississippi law and standard practice in cases involving minors, the identity of the alleged victim has not been disclosed and is not expected to be as proceedings continue.

Indictment documents, arraignment scheduling, and any statements from the Lafayette County District Attorney's office are expected as the case advances through the court calendar.