A 37-year-old woman has been charged for allegedly sexually abusing twin teenage boys who lived across the street from her family’s home in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Ashleigh Watts now faces three counts of indecency with a minor, People reported Monday, citing a criminal complaint.
The suspect allegedly had sexual contact with one of the boys since the summer of 2022. However, law enforcement began looking into the situation once a neighbor called authorities claiming the woman had sexual relations with the twins.
An image shows the suspect’s mugshot and what appears to be a picture of her with her family:
In February, the suspect’s husband reportedly arrived at home early one morning and found her shirtless on their couch with one of the boys who appeared to be sleeping but was allegedly pretending.
Following the discovery, the boy reportedly told his parents he went to the suspect’s home to smoke marijuana. At the time, he denied any sexual activity occurred but later allegedly confessed to his father he and the woman had sex several times.
The People article continued:
The teen also told another neighbor that he had been in a sexual relationship with Watts since June 2022 and they were in love, according to the complaint. Watts also allegedly told the neighbor that when the teen turned 17, she would marry him, the complaint said.
Authorities said that after the alleged contact was discovered, the teen ran away from home last month and was found hiding in Watts’ bedroom three weeks later on July 26.
The neighbor families reportedly had an “open door” rule due to Watts’ son being the around the same age as the twin boys involved in the case, according to WAVY.
The People article said the other teenage twin claimed the suspect gave him some of her underwear and also offered him pot. The young person accused her of touching him inappropriately when he asked her not to do so.
The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) defines child sexual abuse as child abuse that “includes sexual activity with a minor.”
“A child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity, period. When a perpetrator engages with a child this way, they are committing a crime that can have lasting effects on the victim for years,” the organization’s website reads.
RAINN also says sexual abuse can happen to any child and offers suggestions on how parents and guardians can protect their children from such abuse.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.