Oviedo mom gets 54 years in prison for sexually abusing her children

An Oviedo mother who sexually abused her children andproducedpornography of the acts was sentenced to 54 years in federal prison Monday— more than twice as much time she was hoping to receive as part of her plea deal.

Prosecutors said Sarah and Jonathan Adleta made having sex with their two children a part of their parenting plan, and even after they divorced, the abuse continued.

Sarah Adleta pleaded guilty to two charges in May and testified against her ex-husband during his graphic trial last month. Adleta also performed sex acts on her children while another man, Aaron Dixon, watched via Skype.

On Monday, Adleta’s sentencing hearing was, at times, as disturbing as her ex-husband’s trial.

Mental health counselor Cherilyn Rowland Petrie testified that the Adletas’ daughter, who was 4 years old when the FBI arrested her parents, was malnourished, not toilet-trained, and had “sexualized” behaviors.

Sarah Adleta’s father, Leonard Lippy, made an emotional plea to U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr.: Give my daughter the maximum sentence possible. “Sarah, justice is needed,” Lippy said.

Adleta asked the judge for mercy and said she allowed her ex-husband and Dixon to manipulate her. She said she is remorseful and will be “haunted” for the rest of her life.

Prosecutor Karen Gable, noting Adleta’s assistance, recommended the lower end of the sentencing range, which would have been 27 years per count.

Public defender James Smith also pointed out that Adleta helped secure her ex-husband’s conviction and helped put two other people behind bars. Jonathan Adleta will be sentenced in December.

But Dalton reminded the court he had discretion to sentence Sarah Adleta to 27 years in prison for each charge — andthat’s whathe did.

“The facts of this offense are particularly egregious,” Dalton said, noting the crimes are among the most “horrific” he has seen.