Iowa Mom Admits To Letting Boyfriend Rape Her Child For Eight Years
An Iowa mom has been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment after she confessed (and pleaded guilty) to allowing her boyfriend habitually rape her young daughter. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 37-year-old Catherine Provancha was convicted of lascivious acts along with aiding and abetting in sexual abuse. The details surrounding this case are a shocking reminder that home is hell for some children.
An affidavit reveals that the Ohio mom allowed her boyfriend, Steven Cain, to carry on a sexual relationship with her own daughter, who was under the age of 12-years-old. She admitted the man began sexually abusing the child when she was 8-years-old, and she allowed the abusive behavior to continue for many years. The Daily Nonpareil reported earlier this year that the 48-year-old man was charged with at least five counts of sexual abuse stemming from approximately eight years of habitual abuse of the woman’s daughter.
None of this would have ever come to the attention of authorities had it not been for the bravery of the victim in this case. The alleged victim, who is now 18-years-old, turned her mother and her accused abuser in to police earlier this year, which sparked an investigation and the arrests of both Cain and Provancha. The young woman told authorities that not only had she been sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend, her mother knew about it.
That’s not the only disturbing detail. The teen alleges that her mother had also tried to invite her into bed with her and Cain in an apparent attempt to also participate in the sexual abuse of her own child. The alleged victim was 14-years-old at the time of this incident. The Ohio mom has denied that this incident took place, but she readily admitted to authorities that she was not only aware of Cain’s alleged sexual abuse on her daughter, but she was also aware of his stash of child pornography, which included nude photos of her child.
Provancha could have faced a possibility of 75 years of imprisonment, but she chose to enter a plea of guilty to two lesser crimes, which allowed for the court to shave off more than 50 years from her sentence. A 20-year sentence is just a drop in the bucket compared to the 75 years she could have served, but upon release, she will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life. If she’s a “model inmate,” she may only have to serve half of that sentence. Meanwhile, her daughter will have to live with the emotional scars of what she endured for the rest of her life. The 18-year-old woman spoke in court against her mother at the time of her sentencing.
“I’m disgusted that you hurt me and allowed me to keep getting hurt.”
As for Steven Cain, he has not yet been convicted of the crimes that he is accused of committing. It’s not known at this time if he intends to enter a guilty plea, nor is it known if the Ohio mom intends to testify against him with the information she’s provided to authorities. At the time of his arrest, which was in August of this year, Cain was unable to post the $75,000 bond that had been imposed. It’s not known at this time if he’s yet to post the amount, or if he’s been released while awaiting his trial. Since he is accused of multiple counts of child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography, the Ohio man could face several years of imprisonment. If he is convicted, he will have to register as a sex offender.
[Image via Council Bluffs Police mugshot]
