**Warning: This article contains distressing content**
A woman from Oklahoma has been sentenced to 15 years in jail after allowing a 24-year-old man to rape and impregnate her 12-year-old daughter.
Court records claim that on 20 September, Desiree Castaneda, 35, entered a guilty plea to two separate charges - the first being enabling child sexual abuse and the second being child neglect.
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After receiving the guilty plea days before her trial, Judge Clifford J. Smith sentenced Castaneda to 15 years in prison on each count.
The sentences are due to run concurrently and, according to court records, she will have to register as a sex offender upon her release.
It’s also claimed, Law & Crime reports, that Castaneda has been ordered to serve at least 85 percent of her sentences before she is eligible to apply for parole.
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The sentencing comes after the 35-year-old was arrested in July 2021, two weeks after her daughter, then 12, showed up at a hospital to give birth.
At the time, she was accompanied by then-24-year-old, Juan Lorenzo Miranda-Jara, which led hospital staff to become concerned about the nature of their relationship and notify the authorities.
An arrest report from the Tulsa Police Department said: “The suspect, Juan Miranda-Jara, stated that he was in a relationship with the 12-year-old victim that started in October of 2020.
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“The victim was at the hospital and was in labour delivering his child at the time. Miranda-Jara admitted that he is the biological father of the 12-year-old’s baby.”
The police also said that he 'proudly' admitted to being the biological father of the 12-year-old’s baby.
The report continued: “The investigation revealed that the victim’s mother and family members were aware of the relationship between the victim and Miranda-Jara.
“The family permitted the relationship, and there are photos of the family throwing a baby shower for the victim and the suspect.”
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According to Tulsa County Court records, Miranda-Jara entered a guilty plea to first-degree rape of a minor under 14 back in March 2022.
The records also report that he was sentenced to 20 years in custody and will also have to complete 85 percent of his sentence at Mack Alford Correctional Center.
This is because, in Oklahoma, those convicted of crimes like first-degree rape must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Miranda-Jara will also have to pay $1000 (£822) in fines and court costs, as well as registering as a sex offender.
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According to the Tulsa Police Department, the 14-year-old victim is now without a parent as her father is currently behind bars for 12 years after being convicted of rape.
Regarding Castaneda's sentencing, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office said: “Children should be able to rely on their parents for protection from people like Juan Miranda-Jara. For Desiree Castaneda to allow this to happen to her daughter is appalling.
“Both defendants in this case are facing the consequences of their actions and will spend time in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
“Our hope is the victim in this case will be able to put this awful chapter behind her.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org
Featured Image Credit: Tulsa Police DepartmentTopics: Crime, True Crime, US News