An Ohio judge has sealed the conviction of a former high school cheerleader for abusing her baby’s corpse .

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Brooke Skylar Richardson, now 23, was convicted in September 2019 of gross abuse of a corpse after the death of her newborn in 2017. The baby was stillborn, Richardson said, and she buried the baby girl in her parents backyard.

She was charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child endangerment in addition to abuse of a corpse ,but a jury found her not guilty of the other charges

Richards was sentenced to three years probation after her conviction and was released from probation two years early, in 2020.

Warren County Common Pleas Judge Donald Oda II, the same judge who sentenced Richardson to probation and gave her the early release, ordered the conviction sealed, which essentially erases all mention of the conviction from the records, according to WCPO.

Oda said he was reluctant to erase all record of the case but did so anyway, against the wishes of the prosecution.

“There is no dispute that her offense is eligible to be sealed,” Oda said. “And I find she has been rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the court.”

In his written opinion, Oda said, “The court finds defendant has significant interest in having the conviction sealed. The public also has a significant interest for government to maintain the records. However, the court finds the defendant’s interest in this matter outweighs the legitimate needs of the State of Ohio to maintain these records.”

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[Featured image: FILE – Brooke Skylar Richardson at a 2018 pre-trial hearing. (Nick Graham/The Journal-News via AP, Pool, File)]