OPELOUSAS — St. Landry Parish deputies arrested a man accused of posing as a priest and sending a nun lewd and vulgar messages.

Deputies said that John William Modler Jr., 57, was arrested more than six years after a nun at a St. Landry Parish church began receiving vulgar messages from Modler.

According to deputies, Modler was at a St. Landry Parish monastery at the same time as the nun and later pretended to be a priest and used other "deceitful tactics to obtain the location of the Sister as she traveled."

He did this in more than 100 emails since 2018, authorities added.

An investigation that began in May 2024 revealed that Modler was wanted in multiple states for larceny and fraud. While in custody in Texas, an extradition order was obtained and Modler was booked by St. Landry Parish deputies on cyberstalking charges.