Woman who trafficked her 11 year old daughter for heroin gets 51 years to life

A 32 year old mother, April Corcoran, who trafficked her 11 year old daughter for heroin said told the judge who handled her case that she was ashamed about what she did to her daughter, but the judge pointed out that she never offered any apology to the child.

Judge Leslie Ghiz said:"I can honestly say that, in three-and-a-half years on the bench, this is by far the worst thing that has come before this court," Ghiz said. "I don't know that you grasp the damage that has been done to this poor child," Ghiz said, noting that the girl is undergoing medical care, has had suicidal thoughts and is taking medications.
 “You showed no kind of mercy”. So Ghiz in turn decided not to show any mercy to the mother and sent her to 51 years to life during her sentencing Tuesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

Corcoran pleaded guilty in June to multiple counts of complicity to rape, human trafficking and child endangering involving her child.

Corcoran also admitted giving the girl heroin sometimes as a reward but the child vomited each time. Ghiz allowed Corcoran to read a statement in court. The statement read:

“I made selfish, horrible choices that will affect (the girl) for the rest of her life”. “I am consumed by guilt and shame every day.”

That didn't move the judge. The little girl was sodomized, raped, forced to perform oral sex and frequently videotaped by Corcoran's drug dealer, 42 year old Shandell Willingham, in his Camp Washington home, prosecutors say.

The rapes, sodomy and other horrible incidents happened between February and June 2014.

The girl's grandparents told the judge they hoped for justice for their granddaughter and that others would be protected from Corcoran. The girl's grandmother spoke quietly in court.

"I saw my granddaughter. I heard her small voice," Sylvia Corcoran said. "It was horrific. How could she (Corcoran) do this? I don't know if my granddaughter is going to be able to have a normal life." 

 The girl, now, 13, is living out of state with her father and stepmother.

Corcoran's lawyer, James Bogen, said his client has been "sickened and disgusted" by what she's done since she's been in jail.

Shandell Willingham faces the same charges as Corcoran, has been convicted in Indiana on unrelated drug charges as well as on child pornography charges.A hearing in his case is set for Aug. 10.


Source: AP