WEST PALM BEACH — Prosecutors have dropped all charges against a Boca Raton-area mother accused of livestreaming her children’s sexual abuse.
“After a thorough and extensive review of all evidence presented to the State, and further discussions with the law enforcement agencies that investigated this case, all are in agreement that the State no longer has a good faith basis to proceed,” wrote Assistant State Attorney Karen Black in an Oct. 30 court filing.
The Palm Beach Post is not identifying the woman in order to protect the identities of her two minor children. She faced the possibility of life in prison on child sexual battery and molestation charges.
Defense attorneys Mac Kenzie Sacks and Matthew Goldberger said investigators had “no physical, digital or corroborating evidence” to support the accusations.
They accused the children’s estranged father — whose call to police in November 2023 triggered the investigation and subsequent arrests — of twisting the minds of his 14- and 7-year-old sons in hopes of gaining sole custody over them.
“We are grateful that after the State Attorney’s Office conducted a full and fair review of the evidence, they made the just and ethical decision to ultimately dismiss these charges,” Sacks and Goldberger said in a joint statement on Oct. 30.
“(The mother) has maintained her innocence from day one, and this decision finally allows her to begin rebuilding her life. However, the fight for reform within the justice system is far from over.”
Family members said they never saw evidence of sexual abuse
Circuit Judge Sarah Willis granted the woman bond in May 2024 after ruling that prosecutors had not met the burden of proof required to keep her jailed before trial. The decision followed a two-day hearing in West Palm Beach in which investigators acknowledged that much of the physical and digital evidence cited in arrest reports had not yet been substantiated.
Family members who testified in support of the woman said they had never seen evidence of abuse. They described the father as unstable, unemployed and obsessed with regaining access to the home after she evicted him.
“This man has done nothing but wreck her life, and he’s still wrecking her life,” said the woman’s then-attorney, Marc Shiner.
Shiner told the court that neither child underwent a medical examination that could have either verified or disproved their statements. He also noted that the Florida Department of Children and Families, which initially sought to terminate the mother’s parental rights, withdrew that request without explanation a month before the hearing — a move the defense argued showed the agency recognized the allegations were false.
The mother was released on house arrest following the hearing and had remained under strict supervision until the state dismissed all charges this week. In the same Oct. 30 court filing, the prosecutor said the state will consider refiling charges if new evidence comes to light.
Sacks, Goldberger and the mother are expected to speak at an 11:30 a.m. news conference in West Palm Beach on Oct. 31.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center can help. Reach their helpline at 561-833-7273, or toll-free at 866-891-7273.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Prosecutors drop all charges against Boca Raton mom once accused of livestreaming child abuse
Reporting by Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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