Any person who is guilty of the detestable and abominable crime against nature, committed with mankind or with a beast, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a period of not more than twenty (20) years. Any person convicted of a second violation of this section, where the victim of the second offense is a person under sixteen (16) years of age, shall not be eligible for probation, suspended or deferred sentence. Any person convicted of a third or subsequent violation of this section, where the victim of the third or subsequent offense is a person under sixteen (16) years of age, shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of life or life without parole, in the discretion of the jury, or in case the jury fails or refuses to fix punishment then the same shall be pronounced by the court.

R.L. 1910, § 2444; Amended by Laws 1992, SB 912, c. 289, § 1, emerg. eff. May 25, 1992; Amended by Laws 1997, HB 1213, c. 133, § 263 (effective date amended to July 1, 1999, by Laws 1998, 1st Extr. Sess., c. 2, §§ 23-26, emerg. eff. June 19, 1998) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1009, c. 5, § 167, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available).