Woman pleads guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old boy

A 38-year-old Santa Ana woman, Debra Ayala Tapia, was sentenced to one year in jail after accepting a plea deal and admitting guilt to having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy and giving birth to his child.  Originally, Tapia had been charged with two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child, two felony counts of oral copulation of a minor under 16, and two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Tapia had been friends with the boy's family for years and was married with three children when the affair occurred, spanning between February and November of 2009.  At the end of their relationship, she gave birth to the boy's daughter, who is now in custody of the boy's family. The boy's mother alerted authorities earlier this year when she found provocative handwritten notes between the pair and confronted her son, who admitted to the relationship.

Tapia was facing over seven years in prison before striking a plea deal with prosecutors.  In exchange for her guilty plea, three of the felony counts were dropped.  Along with her sentence of 365 days in an Orange County jail, Tapia will be on probation for three years after her release and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

If you, or someone you know has been charged with a sex crime contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Robert M. Bernstein for a free consultation today.