Cherry Payton, 43, was found guilty of sexual assault of a small child in Fort Bend County, according to 8 News Now. Her daughter's marriage to Steven Carty, 47, she claimed, was "a regular aspect of their religious views."
Mother Gets 30 Years Sentence For Allowing 13-Year-Old Daughter To Marry 47-Year-Old Man
By
Haider Ali in
News
On 13th May 2022
advertisement
The child's illicit marriage was discovered when she went to her doctor and said she was having sex with "her husband," who was 34-years her senior. Payton had accompanied her daughter to the religious union, assuring the doctor that she had given her consent.
pexels
According to KIRO 7, the young youngster had been married for about a year at the time, with Payton claiming that they followed the Hebrew Israelite faith. Payton was also found to have sexually molested the youngster while claiming religion as a justification.
pexels
advertisement
“Although the child victim, in this case, was failed by her mother time and time again, she was surrounded in the courtroom by a strong support system,” prosecutor Jessica Ramos told the outlet. “We are grateful to her adoptive mother, her court advocate, her CASA, and the caseworkers from Child Protective Services that supported the child throughout this investigation and trial.”
Ford Bend County
According to WFTV, Carty was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and faces two sentences: 22 years for aggravated sexual assault of a child and 20 years for sexual assault of a child.
pexels
advertisement
According to 8 News Now, Texas law requires persons to be 18 years old to legally marry, while there are exceptions that enable 16-year-olds to marry.
Carty and Payton will both be placed on the sex offenders list.
istock