Man admits underage sex with mom charged in sons' murders
BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio -- The husband of a woman accused of killing their three sons has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for having sex with his wife before they were married when she was underage.
Forty-four-year-old Joseph Pilkington pleaded guilty Monday to sexual imposition and must register as a convicted sex offender annually for the next 15 years.
The Ohio man originally was charged with sexual battery for beginning a sexual relationship with Brittany Pilkington and impregnating her in 2009, when she was 17. He will avoid jail or prison time as a part of a plea deal, reports the Columbus Dispatch.
The now-24-year-old Brittany Pilkington could face a death sentence if convicted of killing their sons, two infants and a toddler. She's accused of suffocating them out of jealously over the attention her husband gave them. She has pleaded not guilty.
During the investigation into the children's deaths, the man initially told police he was Brittany Pilkington's stepfather, the paper reports. CBS affiliate WBNS reported their relationship started when Joseph Pilkington was dating Brittany Pilkington's mother.
Joseph Pilkington isn't a suspect in the children's deaths.