A former Florida nanny was sentenced to prison after sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy and later having his baby. The boy’s name has not been made public.
Six years ago, Marissa Mowry, 28, was employed as the boy’s nanny following a recommendation from a family member who had used her as a previous babysitter. The family allowed Mowry to live in their home. Investigators later discovered Mowry had sexual intercourse with the boy 15 times by the time he was just 12 years old, according to WFLA.
“I thought of her almost as a second daughter,” the boy’s mother, Nadean Campbell, said after Mowry’s sentencing, according to Spectrum Bay News 9.
Marissa Mowry was 22 when she first assaulted the 11-year-old boy. Now the boy — who’s only a teen — is raising their son while she’s in jail.
Who is Marissa Mowry? New details on this horrific sexual abuse case:
1. The victim’s family thought the father of Mowry’s baby was her boyfriend.
According to Oxygen, Campbell initially believed the father of the baby was Mowry’s boyfriend; however, her son later came forward and confessed the baby was his. A DNA test confirmed Campbell’s son was, in fact, the baby’s father.
2. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
According to Radar, Mowry was arrested in 2017 on sexual battery charges of a minor and sexual battery while in custodial authority. She initially told detectives the boy forced himself on her but later pled guilty and was sentenced on Wednesday, October 16th, 2019.
“Following her 20-year prison sentence, Mowry is required to complete a decade of sex offender probation. She will also spend the remainder of her life on Florida’s sex offender registry, and as a result, will have to adhere to a series of strict conditions,” the article reported.
3. The teen father is raising their son
At just 17, the young father takes his 5-year-old to school before he goes to school himself. The sexual abuse has forever altered the course of her son’s life, his mother says. His son has limited his social life and the situation has made dating difficult because “who wants to date a 17-year-old who has a 5-year-old?” his mother said, according to Oxygen.
4. The victim’s mother is helping to raise her grandchild.
The victim’s mother was utterly distraught and blindsided by the circumstances but is helping to raise her grandchild. “We’re talking about a child that was 11 [at the time of his son’s birth]. Not even a teenager. Eleven,” she said, according to Inquisitr.
But the victim’s family has stated some good things have came out of this situation. “It has not ruined his life, but it’s changed his life,” Campbell said. “He has turned into one of the most amazing dads you’ll ever meet,” according to People.
5. Mowry had a troubled past.
According to The Tampa Bay Times, Assistant Public Defender Antina Mobley gave a brief statement of Mowry’s past acknowledging an abusive childhood and parents who were absent from Mowry’s life. At one time, Mowry was also homeless.
But still, “the mother of the boy Mowry assaulted said a troubled past was no excuse for the damage she caused, for changing the course of his entire life,” according to The Tampa Bay Times.
Elizabeth Ward is a writing student finishing her bachelor’s at the University of Louisville. She covers news, entertainment, relationships and everything in between.