Ohio Parents Jailed On Felony Child Abuse: Father Previously Indicted For Sexual Contact With Minor And Rape

Two Ohio parents from Bowling Green have been jailed on felony child abuse charges. The father was previously indicted for sexual contact with a minor back in 1998, and also received a suspended sentence for rape in a 1991 case, Sentinel-Tribune reports.

Tony Ybanez, 37, and Sarah Ybanez, 30, appeared at the Wood County Court of Common Pleas on Friday for their separate cases involving child abuse charges against their children.

Tony Ybanez was charged with two counts of endangering children, one count of permitting child abuse, and one count of gross sexual imposition. Tony admitted to the child abuse charges, but entered an Alford plea to the sexual imposition charge. An Alford plea is not a guilty plea, but an acknowledgement that enough evidence has been found in order to be charged with the crime.

Sarah Ybanez was charged with one count of permitting child abuse, and two counts of endangering children. She made a deal to plead guilty to one count of each charge in exchange for the second count of the endangering children to be dropped.

BG husband, wife sentenced on felony child abuse charges.https://t.co/zpDuhTkrvr pic.twitter.com/a8HCIeN5PD

— Sentinel-Tribune (@sentineltribune) December 3, 2016

Both admitted to abusing their children, but did dispute some of the details, claiming that some of the claims made by Tony’s older children were fabricated. For instance, both Tony and Sarah acknowledged that Sarah once struck their son in the face with a shoe, leaving a large imprint. The report stated that the abuse occurred while Sarah was babysitting, but she claimed that it did not occur while she was babysitting.

Sarah admitted to using excessive discipline, but did not believe it to be considered child abuse.

“I’m not a monster, and I love my kids and will protect my kids. That’s how I was raised. That’s how I was punished throughout my childhood.”

Judge Alan Mayberry revealed during the hearing that he, himself, was smacked with a belt when he was a child, but also verified it was during a different era.

Crystal Clark spoke during the hearing and supported Sarah’s claims that excessive discipline was used on them growing up. A couple of additional family members, as well as Pastor Juan Salinas, supported Sarah by stating that physical discipline is a part of the Hispanic culture.

“That’s the way we were brought up. To them it wasn’t wrong. They lived it. I lived it. Regardless of what’s happened, these people love their children.”

Mayberry did not care what race they were.

“The law doesn’t say it’s child abuse unless you’re Hispanic.”

Sarah was sentenced to 60 days in jail, as well as three years of community control. Mayberry made it clear that he reserves the right to extend jail time to nine-to-36 months, and can also extend probation time, World Now revealed. Further, Mayberry sentenced her to 200 hours of community service. He wants her to spend the time with her children at the local library, and wants her to use the time to read and bond with her children to discourage future abuse.

Judge Mayberry was very disappointed to see Tony, as he was previously indicted on two other charges, including having sexual contact with a 15-year-old in 1998 and a rape charge in 1991. Tony was also found guilty of marijuana trafficking in Maberry’s court.

“I remember you promising me I would never see you again. Here you are.”

When Tony was indicted in 1998 on a gross sexual imposition charge for having sexual contact with a minor, he served six months in prison. Prior to that, Tony was given a suspended sentence for a rape charge in 1991.

For his involvement with child abuse against his children, Mayberry sentenced him to serve multiple, concurrent 18 months in prison, and five years of community control. Since he was previously indicted in Mayberry’s court for the marijuana charges, the judge reserves the right to impose additional suspended prison time.

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