Mom, 21, had sex with boy, 15
Published 8:11 pm Thursday, October 16, 2008
An expectant 21-year-old mother from Opp was arrested Thursday for not only allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy but also for allegedly using drugs while pregnant.
Brittney Diane Owens is facing six counts of second-degree rape, one count of second-degree sodomy and one count of chemical endangerment of a child after reports were received of a sexual relationship between her and the boy.
“In September, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Owens had a consensual sexual relationship with the minor child on and off over a period of several months at various locations throughout the county and within the city limits of Opp,” CCSO spokesman Wesley Snodgrass said.
Sheriff Dennis Meeks said law is law no matter the sex of the defendant.
“Alabama law specifically states ‘a person commits the crime of rape in the second degree if: being 16-years-old or older, he or she engages in sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex less than 16 and more than 12-years-old,” Meeks said. “We don’t distinguish between defendants that are male or female in these cases. The law is applied the same.”
Additionally, it was discovered that Owens is pregnant and had allegedly used illegal drugs recently.
“She is believed to be in her second trimester,” Snodgrass said. “Information came to light during the course of the investigation that Owens may have used an illegal narcotic.
“While being booked into the county jail, Owens was subjected to a urinalysis test which tested positive for marijuana use.”
As a result, Owens faces an additional charge of chemical endangerment of a child, the spokesman said.
An additional test on a blood specimen will be performed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, he said.
Currently, Owens is being held in the Covington County Jail under a $700,000 bond.