ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Three family members of an 11-year-old Missouri girl who gave birth in a bathtub earlier this month after reportedly being raped by an older teen are facing multiple criminal charges.
A man and woman are each charged with child endangerment and a teenager faces charges of incest, statutory rape and statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12. The family resides in St. Charles, a suburb of St. Louis.
Moreover, the woman, Lesbia Cante, 35, is accused of failing to provide medical care to the child upon giving birth.
Norvin L. Lopez-Cante, 17, admitted sexually assaulting the girl approximately 100 times, according to charging documents.
The unnamed man brought the baby to St. Joseph’s Medical Center about an hour after its birth on Feb. 11, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The infant was still attached to the umbilical cord and placenta with a body temperature of 90 degrees. As a result of the circumstances, law enforcement was prompted to initiate an investigation.
Authorities said the man was in the U.S. illegally and had previously been deported.
He initially said he didn’t know the girl before admitting they were related, according to charging documents. Furthermore, he denied knowing she was pregnant or was being sexually abused until she gave birth.
Lopez-Cante told police he did not know the was pregnant even though he sexually assaulted her about 100 times, Fox News reported.
The woman and 17-year-old teen were ordered to remain in custody on $10,000 and $25,000 bonds, respectively. Bail for the man was set at $10,000, cash only.
