Brian Downing was booked in New Orleans, Louisiana on counts of sexual battery and obscenity for allegedly putting his genitals on the face of an LSU fan who appeared to be drunk and “practically unconscious,” police said.

The arrest stems from a video shot hours after the BCS Championship game, where a man wearing University of Alabama clothing unzips his pants and exposes his genitals, then repeatedly shoves them on the LSU fan’s neck.

New Orleans police had asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the man shown in the video the day before they arrested Downing.

The arrest is the result of Sheriff Heath Taylor, of Alabama, recognizing his second cousin, Downing, as the man identified as the alleged offender in some pictures posted on the sports website Deadspin.

New Orleans police said sex crimes detectives met Downing before taking him to Central Lockup.

Taylor said Downing had hired a Louisiana criminal defense lawyer.

Under state law, “sexual battery” is defined as any touching of the “genitals of the offender by the victim,” when the victim has not given consent. Furthermore, the statute specifies that the victim cannot give consent if they are “incapable,” and “the offender knew or should have known of the victim’s incapacity.”

If convicted, the offender faces a maximum imprisonment sentence of 10 years.

If you are facing criminal charges in Louisiana, you must seek representation immediately from one of the best criminal lawyers in Louisiana.  Contact Baton Rouge Criminal Attorney Carl Barkemeyer for a free consultation.

Source: The Advocate, “N.O. police arrest Bama fan,” January 20, 2012.