Thread: Mother Of Disabled Rape Victim Charged

Mother Of Disabled Rape Victim Charged

(CBS) CHICAGO Will County authorities say a 68-year-old man sexually assaulted a quadriplegic teenager, then paid the victim's mother to keep quiet.

Now, both the mother and the alleged attacker face criminal charges.

Lawrence Southwood of Wilmington was indicted Thursday on aggravated criminal sexual assault and sexual abuse charges. He's being held on $2 million bond.

Will County prosecutors say he raped the girl while baby-sitting her. The teenage girl's mother, Kimberly Riordan, was charged with criminal neglect of a disabled person, obstructing justice and concealing a fugitive.

Will County investigators call it the worst case of abuse they’ve ever seen.

"He's sick. Really sick,” said neighbor Larry Turbett. “Sick people shouldn't be with other people."

Prosecutors say Southwood befriended the teen's mother.

It's alleged she accepted $10,000 in cash from Southwood to keep quiet about the alleged sexual assaults on her own daughter. Prosecutors say Riordan is partially responsible for her daughter's paralysis. She was drunk five years ago when she crashed her car and injured the girl.

"In 28 years in the criminal justice system, I've never encountered allegations of the magnitude we're going to be talking about here today," said Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow.

Southwood was convicted of sexually abusing his own daughter in the past. He fathered two children with her 20 years ago while forcing her into what she calls a wife-like relationship.

Meantime, Riordan, the mother of the 14-year-old Southwood is accused of sexually assaulting, is being held on $250,000 bond. Southwood pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Authorities also are comparing Southwood's DNA to evidence from unsolved crimes, inlduding the unsolved Riley Fox murder case.

Police say that’s routine for sex offenders.
http://cbs2chicago.com/seenon/local_...012225903.html

I heard this on the radio this morning and was hoping that I had heard it wrong. I didn't. I am way more than just disgusted at this. I am having a hard time deciding if Southwood is more sick for fathering 2 children with his own daughter and then molesting a quadriplegic teenager or if the mother of the teenager, Riordan, is more sick for not only causing her daughters paralysis, but then allowing, and even accepting money to allow, a sex offender to molest her quadriplegic daughter.

I am sitting here, confused, nauseaus and seriously disturbed over this. People are just sick.