The courts have sentenced an Ohio woman to four years in prison for ignoring—and even allowing—the rape of a young girl, according to the Canton Repository.
Patricia L. Horton, 39, (pictured left) was told that Donell Powell, 34, (pictured right) was abusing the child but failed to report it to police, according to Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Christy Donnelly. Court documents have also indicated that she lied to police officers who were investigating the case.
Horton, who was arrested in April with Powell, ultimately pleaded guilty to felony counts of endangering children and obstructing justice. County prosecutors argued that the 39-year-old disregarded warning signs that the child was being repeatedly abused.
The Canton Repository has also revealed that Horton and Powell were involved in a romantic relationship. Prosecutor Donelly noted that Powell admitted to raping the girl—who was less than 10 years old—on multiple occasions in 2015 and 2016. Horton and Powell’s relationship to the victim has not been disclosed.
Powell was already a convicted sex offender at the time of his arrest. He was found guilty in 2008 and 2007 of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
In May, Powell pleaded guilty to rape and gross sexual imposition, as reported by the Canton Repository. On May 31, Stark County Common Pleas Judge Taryn Heath sentenced the 34-year-old to 15 years to life.
The sentencing judge has said she’ll consider releasing Patricia Horton into the Stark Regional Community Corrections Center after six months, provided she is a model inmate.
[Featured Image: Stark County Jail]
