Rebecca Wiggins
G. Grant Brantley, a senior Cobb Superior Court judge, had those words for defendant Rebecca Wiggins before sentencing her Monday afternoon to life plus 20 years for sexually exploiting a child.
On Friday evening, a jury found Wiggins, 37, guilty of sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and first-degree child cruelty. The jury had deliberated for less than two hours.
Prosecutors had argued during the nearly weeklong trial that Wiggins accepted nearly $10,000 from an east Cobb man, David A. Ray, in exchange for providing access to her 7-year-old niece, who was in Wiggins’ custody in 2004. The abuse occurred over a number of years.
“This child was repeatedly violated, really, at your hands,” Brantley told Wiggins, who showed no emotion. “You transported her to the place where it was done, for profit. You bathed and prepared her for a person who physically performed the act. You held her down in one instance, and in another you held her hand (while the girl was sodomized). And the only comfort you gave her in holding her hand was telling her it was all right.”
Police were first notified of the allegations in 2009. The girl, who is now 14, testified on the first day of the trial. Ray killed himself in April 2009, a day after Marietta Police tried to arrest him on child-molestation charges, according to the medical examiner’s report.
Wiggins insists she is innocent. Her court-appointed lawyer, Kim Frye, of Marietta’s Frye Law Group, has filed a motion for a new trial.
Frye said her client was stunned and in shock when the verdict was returned Friday.
“It was 8 o’clock Friday night. I think their minds were made up long before we opened our mouths. The allegations in this case are horrible, and it’s very hard for people to get past the nature of these allegations to listen to the arguments,” she said.
Lead prosecutor Chuck Boring said all of the jurors stayed after the verdict was returned on Friday to give feedback to the attorneys.
“They said the most telling thing was the victim’s testimony, and she was so credible,” he said. “When you’re telling the truth, you don’t have to think about it.”
The judge sentenced Wiggins to the maximum penalty, as Boring had sought.
“It was appropriate, given everything that came out at trial,” Boring said. “I don’t think any other sentence would have been just.”
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In their minds there really is no big deal - we studied these sociopaths in Abnormal Psychology.
I hope the police and prosecutor(s) charge the man. Why was the man not mentioned by name??? He needs to be outed to the public for his nasty crimes.
What did you survive from?
When the inmates find out why she is there...payback will come to her...
I appreciate how seriously you seem to have taken your duties as juror. Thank you.
It is so hard to imagine that there really are "people" who can do things like this.
As sickening as it is I understand that a child can be guided, suggested and easily led. I also understand that children can lie, especially if they are guided by someone they love.
Due to this understanding I - MORE - than listened to the arguments and evidence as it was presented during the week long trial. I knew that my decision would affect the defendant and victims - and took my civil duty very seriously.
The testimony of this child was not only credible but supported throughout the week by the evidence and testimony given. This woman is not innocent and this has been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt to me.
The defense attorney more than did her job. It was apparent that she spent countless hours reviewing every detail of this case.
As a member of the jury, I can attest that none of the members of this jury took this case or evidence lightly. We looked at all the evidence and testimony carefully and all felt 100% sure that this woman was guilty. It was not just the testimony of the child - though it was key - but the entire week's worth of evidence and testimony.
But, I can't help but think about the McMartin pre-school case in California back during the 90's. Young kids can be easily led by adults/cops to say things that just did not happen...and still sound credible. More than a few innocent people went to prison for years because of the kids testimony that had been "guided" by the police and counselors.