Texas Mother Gets Prison Time For Allowing Teenage Daughter To Marry Man 34 Years Older
Cherry Payton was sentenced to 30 years in prison for letting her 13-year-old daughter marry a 47-year-old man.
According to KIAH, in 2017, Payton, 43, revealed to her doctor that she allowed her teen to marry 47-year-old Steven Carty due to her religion, which is the Hebrew Israelites’ faith. The child was “married” for approximately a year before the doctor knew.
However, KPRC-TV reports an investigation discovered there was no record of a marriage license in Fort Bend County, Texas.
Carty was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to 42 years. Payton was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child and given 30 years last week. They will be required to register as sex offenders.
In Texas, the legal age of consent to marry is 18. At the age of 16, parental consent is required to obtain a marriage license.
