Fresno woman accused of helping husband sexually abuse 12-year-old girl sentenced to 1 year in jail
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno woman accused of helping her husband sexually abuse a 12-year old girl was sentenced to 365 days in jail on Thursday.
Jillian Cox arrived at court in street clothes but would leave in handcuffs after being sentenced to a year in the Fresno County jail and four years of formal probation for her role in a child sex abuse case involving her husband and the couple's live-in girlfriend.
"It just kind of sickens the court...this whole situation."
Cox previously admitted to investigators that she and her husband were involved in a long-term love triangle relationship with another woman.
RELATED: Fresno woman admits role in "thruple" child sex abuse case involving her husband, girlfriend
That woman had a 12-year-old daughter who prosecutors say was repeatedly sexually abused by Cox's husband, Brent Cox. They say the plan was to make the girl his third wife.
Prosecutors say Jillian Cox was the least culpable of the three defendants after she essentially allowed her husband to sexually abuse the daughter of Tammy Schreiner on several occasions without stopping it.
"This was a child, and this was a child that was with you, spending time with you, was living with you, and you saw what was going on and took no action," said Judge David Gottlieb.
Investigators say her husband Brent recorded video evidence of the sex crimes but tried to hide it.
The recordings were later discovered at Tioga Sequoia, his workplace, along with guns.
Cox is not allowed to have firearms because of a prior conviction.
Possession of child pornography is just one of the 13 charges he now faces.
Prosecutors say Jillian Cox helped her husband conceal the evidence, but her attorney said Thursday, that was not entirely true.
"She helped Mr. Cox take some rifles to his work and secrete them at his place of employment. When the officers later raided that place of employment, they found in the safe a computer, and she told police she knew nothing about that," said defense attorney Peter Kapetan.
Jillian will now be available to testify against the other two defendants when they return to court in the coming weeks.
