Mom Denied Bail In Child Sex Case

(CBS/ AP)  A mother accused of trying to prostitute her young daughters cried in court Tuesday as a magistrate ordered that she be held without bond.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Stein Nowak concluded that 25-year-old Jennifer Richards, who moved to San Antonio from Phoenix nine months ago, was a flight risk and is likely to be convicted.

"It's about as dangerous as it can get when a mother sets up her own child for this," said Nowak in finding that Richards should remain in custody.

The waitress with shoulder-length blond hair sat with her shoulders hunched and began to cry.

Richards is charged with using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, a charge that carries as many as five years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Braun said other charges could be added.

Clare Koontz, Richards' attorney, said the Internet exchanges about child pornography and sexual assault were just chat room discussions.

"All of this is fantasy. It was chat room stuff," Koontz said in court. "This was a fantasy response to Mr. Block, not actual conduct."

FBI agent Rex Miller testified that Richards offered to allow her 5-year-old daughter to be molested in exchange for a car, an apartment and money for day care for her 10-month-old daughter. Richards also planned to use the baby for child pornography when she got older, the agent said.

An FBI agent said Richards acknowledged furthering the scheme, reports CBS affiliate KENS-TV in San Antonio: taking her daughters to an area Chili's restaurant to meet the informant; accepting $300 as a sort of down payment in advance of sex with the kids; and texting pictures of the kids with the pitch, "I hope you like them." Richards was taken into custody a short time later.

According to court records and testimony, it was Block, 40, who approached the paid informant, but FBI Special Agent Rex Miller testified Tuesday that Richards months before began speaking of her interest involving her daughter in sex and finding ways to hide the prospective abuse from authorities, reports KENS-TV.

Authorities say neither girl was sold for sex and are no longer in Richards' custody.

He said Internet chat logs also recorded her and her boyfriend, 40-year-old Sean Michael Block, making plans to use the girls to create child pornography. Block, who allegedly offered the girl to the informant through a text message, was ordered held without bond Friday; he faces a charge of distribution of child pornography.

Miller also described chat logs in which Richards and Block allegedly talked about luring a teenage girl from a bus station or night club to sexually assault her and cut her face.

"Many of the stories were instigated by Ms. Richards," Miller said.

[keithle1]

It''s too bad more women aren''t sterile. We need a rampant disease that sterilizes women. Too many clueless idiots, silly broads & sick freaks having babies.

"But I''m a woman! I gotta have a baby! I just gotta! Or my head will explode!"

Government should pay women to have their uterus removed. I''ll chip in. Money well spent.

[aggiekat2004]

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT IN THIS ONE.

These people should be given the death penalty. Child molestation is worse than murder.

[forevertru-2009]

SHE CAN ASK OBAMA FOR THE BAIL MONEY, HE''LL GIVE IT TO HER.

[forasongca]

I find it interesting that the three-letter "s" word appears in the article, but is censored in the comments.

That said...this is a tragedy for everyone involved. I can''t imagine what would drive a mother to do that to her kids.

[lambor59]

Sound like catholic priests around the US.

[swwils]

She doesn''t need a bond.I mean what for,so she can accomplish what she was trying to do.I hate seeing stories like this and when I do I must throw my 2 cents in.This lady needs locked up and if found guilty she needs the death penalty, in my opinion.I don''t care about ant of you cry babies that are against the death penalty either.All of you cry until something like this happens to your child then it is different.We need too either lock these type of people away for life without parole,or just get rid of them.They have proven that there is no cure for pediphile''s so that means destroy them so our youth will stand a chance in life.

[jessica0321]

What is the world coming to? You really believe that this mother of the 5 year old and 10 month old should be free? Reading this made me sick! If a mother is even thinking about prostituting her children she should be put behind bars for her whole life! How can she call herself a mother? Mothers love their children and want what''s best for them. They freaking care about them they don''t give them to perverts to molest! That is despicable! Innocent until proven guilty! What more do you want? Yeah lets wait until the 5 year old is molested! Then lets put the mother in jail! Good plan! JasonEdward3 you need to rethink things!

[jankebenz]

You people are so quick to criticize. She didn''''t do anything wrong. She was just talking; since when does talk land you in jail and have your kids taken away? Innocent until proven guilty doesn''''t seem to apply here

Posted by jasonedward3 at 01:05 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Oh great! another supporter of child molestation,the evidence speaks for itself, read the story

FBI agent Rex Miller testified that Richards offered to allow her 5-year-old daughter to be molested in exchange for a car, an apartment and money for day care for her 10-month-old daughter. Richards also planned to use the baby for child pornography when she got older, the agent said.

An FBI agent said Richards acknowledged furthering the scheme, reports CBS affiliate KENS-TV in San Antonio: taking her daughters to an area Chili%u2019s restaurant to meet the informant; accepting $300 as a sort of down payment in advance of *** with the kids; and texting pictures of the kids with the pitch, %u201CI hope you like them.%u201D Richards was taken into custody a short time later.

[dagrandma]

vechtables: You okay?

[pure505]

"You people are so quick to criticize. She didn''''t do anything wrong. She was just talking; since when does talk land you in jail and have your kids taken away? Innocent until proven guilty doesn''''t seem to apply here."
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Posted by jasonedward3 at 01:05 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Jasonedward, are you serious, or are you just trying to bait people into an argument?? If I ever talked about letting and adult have *** with my 5 yr old daughter, then please take her away from me. That''s not something real moms can even comprehend, let along discuss in chat rooms! "taking her daughters to an area Chili%u2019s restaurant to meet the informant; accepting $300 as a sort of down payment in advance of *** with the kids; and texting pictures of the kids with the pitch, %u201CI hope you like them.%u201D Richards was taken into custody a short time later."...that''s just "talking"?!? Sounds like ACTION to me. So you must be with the group who doesn''t believe in using common sense to prevent a crime. We have to wait until this little girl has been sodomized because the fact that the "mom" is solliciting the girl for *** isn''t proof enough. Brilliant.