Woman Who Lied About Date-Rape Pregnancy Gets Prison Time
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman who lied about getting pregnant through date rape and abandoned her newborn in a trash bin was sentenced to prison for the statutory rape of the baby's father, her 12-year-old cousin.
Twyana Davis, 30, claimed in 1995 that she had been raped at a party, and told her story in a book and on television.
Davis was sentenced Tuesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to 10 to 25 years in prison. She had confessed to having a sexual relationship with the cousin, leading to her pregnancy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Judge Michael J. Holbrook labeled her a sexual predator and fined her $10,000.
She told the judge she is trying to become a better person.
"With all respect to you, there is a judge we all have to stand before some time," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Davis confessed to clear her conscience and claimed the sex was consensual, said defense attorney Byron Potts. He blamed her actions on a poor upbringing and abuse when she was a child.
In November 1995, Davis left her daughter in a trash bin at Ohio Dominican College, where she was a student. The girl survived, and Davis was convicted of child endangering.
She wrote "Sacred Womb" and formed Second Chance of Life, a nonprofit group aimed at preventing teen pregnancies and providing alternatives for young mothers who don't want to keep their babies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Her work led to appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "20/20."