NEWTON, Iowa — An Iowa mother is charged with child endangerment after police say she allowed a friend to sleep with her 11-year-old daughter and the now 12-year-old victim is pregnant.
“I’m not saying anything ’til I talk with my lawyer,” 37-year-old Tina Durant told a WHO-TVcrew outside her Newton home.
According to Newton police, Durant knew that now 24-year-old Jacob White was sleeping with her 11-year-old daughter in the same bed in their home.
“During the investigation several witnesses were identified who had lived in the same residence and observed the 11-year-old victim sleeping in the same bed with the 23-year old,” the police report stated. “Witnesses indicated that they addressed it with the victim’s mother, Tina Durant, who refused to take action.”
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According to the police report, during a doctor’s appointment, the alleged victim was heard telling her mother, “I tried to tell you several times.”
Durant says there’s more to the story, but would not elaborate.
“I told them everything that I said and what went on and they still won’t believe me,” she said.
Neighbors like Gordon Jones aren’t surprised by the charges.
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” he said, “Just too much stuff goes on over there. People go in and out. You never know who’s going and coming any time day or night.”
Jones says Durant belongs in jail.
“Yeah I mean she has all kinds of people going in and out all the time. Then they had a bunch of pit bulls over there but they disappeared. You never know what’s going on over there.”
White has been charged with third degree sexual abuse.
