Police officer’s wife, 31, sexually abused very young child she was related to, prosecutors say, as she faces 120 years in prison if convicted
Lauren Winans, 31, of Bardstown, Kentucky, has been indicted on four charges over allegations that she sexually abused a young family member in 2022. The case matters because the alleged victim was under 12, and the charges carry the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if she is convicted.
The charges are two counts of first-degree sodomy, one of first-degree incest and one of sexual abuse; court records say the same family member is named in each count. Winans was arrested and held on a $250,000 cash-only bond before being released on Friday. She is due to be arraigned on 5 November, and the article says there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by her current husband or former partner.
In short
- A Kentucky woman faces four charges over alleged abuse of a young relative.
- The alleged offences date to 2022.
- She was released on bond and is due in court on 5 November.
Explained simply
In Kentucky, a grand jury can indict someone when it finds enough evidence for a criminal case to go to court; an indictment is not a finding of guilt. The charges in this case concern alleged sexual abuse of a child who was a family member.
The case is being handled by Kentucky’s criminal courts, where Winans is due to answer the charges at an arraignment. The offences carry potentially lengthy prison terms, but any sentence would depend on a conviction and the outcome of the court process.