Two Cape women plead guilty to child endangerment

~ The women said they thought putting the girl on the pill was the best thing to do.

Two Cape Girardeau women pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree misdemeanor endangerment of a child in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court.

Amanda Olivo, 32, and Valenta Young, 51, put a 12-year-old girl on oral contraceptives so she could have sex with a 17-year-old boy between the dates of July 16 and Sept. 25.

They women said they thought putting the child on birth control was the best thing to do at the time, but in hindsight realized what they did was wrong, said Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp ordered two years' supervised probation for the two women with conditions, including financial contributions to the Cape Girardeau Law Enforcement Fund, community service and making certain the victim has no contact with the boy.

'Bizarre' circumstances

Swingle called the circumstances of the case "bizarre" and warned potential child molesters not to expect similar treatment in Cape Girardeau court.

A Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department nurse was present at the bench trial, prepared to testify for the prosecution that Olivo's and Young's actions put the child at risk, Swingle said. However, the testimony wasn't needed due to the women's plea.

Tyler A. Figliolo, of Cape Girardeau, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree endangerment of a child before Associate Circuit Judge Gary A Kamp. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped felony charges of statutory rape and two counts of statutory sodomy, Swingle said. As part of the plea agreement, Figliolo agreed to testify against Olivo and Young.

Kamp suspended the six-month jail sentence and $1,000 fine for a two-year, supervised probation.

Figliolo must undergo counseling as a condition of his probation and have no contact with the victim, Swingle said.

Figliolo admitted that he created a risk to the health of a 12-year-old girl by having sex with her.

Both the girl and Figliolo told investigators the sex between the two was consensual, Swingle said, and Figliolo said the girl was the pursuer in the relationship.

"That doesn't make it legal," he said.

cschmidlkofer@semissourian.com

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