California Woman Gets Jail for Sex with Boy - Updated

(Redwood City, California) In August, 32-year-old Nina Herrera was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse stemming from an incident where she lured a 14-year-old boy into her minivan, gave him alcohol and engaged in sex with him. Consequently, she was sentenced yesterday to eight months in prison.

According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, Herrera will begin serving her sentence in February.

Prosecutors say Herrera, who has an 11-year-old daughter, went cruising for teenage boys at a San Bruno movie theater in March 2008 and picked up the victim along with some of his friends. She gave the boys alcohol and cigarettes before finally having sex with the victim in her vehicle.

"If this had been a man the issue would not have been if, but how many years in prison," Wagstaffe said, adding that because society views this type of incident as less serious than ones between men and girls the sentence is accordingly lighter. "The concept of equal punishment for this type of crime doesn't exist in our society at this point."

Wagstaffe said the crime was reported after one of the boy's friends told his probation officer what happened.

So the district attorney admits that equality under the law is a myth with respect to child sex crimes. Wonderful.

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California Woman Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 4/23/09 post]
(San Mateo County, California) In June 2008, a 31-year-old local mom, Nina Valeska Herrera, was arraigned on charges that she engaged in sex with a 14-year-old boy after plying him with alcohol and cigarettes. Herrera was booked and released on $50,000 bond.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, on March 9, 2008, Herrera “cruised around” in her minivan seeking out teenage boys at the San Bruno movie theater. Herrera, a divorced mother of a 13-year-old girl, reportedly picked up the 14-year-old alleged victim and his friends and offered them alcohol and cigarettes.

The boy’s friend later told his probation officer Herrera and the 14-year-old had sex and authorities contacted her via MySpace. During a chat in which a detective posed as the boy, Herrera allegedly admitted the act.

Herrera has been charged with unlawful sexual intercourse, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor age 14, providing alcohol to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Herrera is scheduled for trial on August 31.