Couple get 20-year prison terms in sex abuse case

Judge James Bixler appeared unmoved by the tearful pleas from Vonseydewitz, who along with her husband, Frederick, sexually abused her son and daughter for years during their youth.

“To say what happened was disgusting, egregious is not even close to how bad this was. You crossed the most sacred line ever with what you did to these kids,” the judge said. “Let there be no mistake; they may be able to forgive you, but I’m not.”

Bixler sentenced Mary Vonseydewitz, 50, to four to 20 years in prison.

Earlier, Frederick Vonseydewitz, 45, the children’s stepfather, was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

The couple originally faced 20 felony counts each and multiple life sentences if convicted. But they took a deal and each pleaded guilty to one count of attempted lewdness with a child under 14 and attempted sexual assault.

The Vonseydewitzes were arrested in 2009 on the abuse charges after the children, now in their 20s, came forward to report the abuse.

The siblings made the abuse allegations to police on Jan. 19, 2009. The boy was sexually assaulted by his stepfather and mother from the age of 10 until he was 14 or 15, according to court documents. The girl was sexually assaulted by her stepfather beginning at the age of 8, according to the documents.

The son attended the hearing, but did not speak.

Prosecutor James Sweetin said afterward Mary Vonseydewitz deserved the same prison time as her husband.

“She should be punished the same as the husband because she is just as culpable,” Sweetin said. “Mary Vonseydewitz manipulated her children every bit as much as Fred Vonseydewitz.”

Her attorney, Anthony Goldstein, argued during the sentencing hearing that Mary Vonseydewitz had submissive personality and was incapable of denying her husband’s manipulative personality.

“She doesn’t have the ability to stand up for herself,” Goldstein said.

She needed probation so she could receive long-term therapy as psychiatrists who have examined her have suggested, the defense attorney said.

Goldstein suggested that Fredrick Vonseydewitz manipulated Mary Vonseydewitz into sexually molesting her children along with him in order to make her as guilty as he was and keep her from going to police.

Clark County Child Protective Services in 1999 received an anonymous tip that the daughter was being abused. At the time, Mary Vonseydewitz forced her daughter to say nothing happened, according to court records.

During the sentencing hearing, both Vonseydewitzes apologized to the children for what they did.

The couple will have to register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives when they get out of prison.