An Oklahoma mother has been arrested and charged with child neglect after her 12-year-old daughter gave birth a 24-year-old man’s child.
Desiree Castaneda, 33, was also taken into custody on Thursday on one count of enabling child sex abuse, according to the Tulsa Police Department and online jail records.
Miranda-Jara was arrested on July 14 while the girl was in labor at the hospital. Police said at the time that Miranda-Jara allegedly admitted to being “in a relationship” with the girl since October.
The age of consent in Oklahoma is 16.
Desiree Castaneda.tulsa county
Investigators believe Castaneda and other family members were “aware of the relationship between the victim and Miranda-Jara,” Tulsa police said in a news release on Thursday.
The girl’s father is currently in prison serving a 12 year sentence for first-degree rape unrelated to the case, according to authorities.
An investigation is ongoing.
Juan Miranda-Jara.tulsa county
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During an arraignment on July 20, a public defender appointed to Miranda-Jara entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf, online records show. A preliminary hearing has been set for Aug. 26.
Attorney information for Miranda-Jara and Castaneda was not immediately available on Thursday.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
