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Woman facing up to 30 years after guilty plea

ELKINS – A Belington woman who pleaded guilty to sexual abuse charges in November was sentenced in Randolph County Circuit Court Thursday.

Robin Georgetta Moore, 34, was sentenced to a total of 10 to 30 years in a state penitentiary for the two counts of parent, guardian and custodian allowing sexual abuse. Those indeterminate sentences will run consecutively.

She was additionally sentenced to two years in a state penitentiary for one count of possession of materials depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. That sentence is to run consecutively to the others.

Moore will also have to register as a child abuser and a sex offender for life. Randolph County Circuit Court Judge Jaymie Godwin Wilfong set a hearing for Jan. 21 to set up the registration.

On Nov. 20, 2013, Moore pleaded to the charges, admitting to allowing her 14-year-old daughter to have sex with her 35-year-old cousin.

Moore said in court Wednesday that her cousin, Amber Ratliff, had many sexual encounters with the girl in a bedroom in Moore’s residence.

Before sentencing was carried out Thursday, a family member of the victim, Floyd Calhoun, spoke on the girl’s behalf.

“This girl will be living with this for the rest of her life,” Calhoun told the court.

Helen Jones, a friend of Moore’s, also spoke before sentencing, saying she believed that Moore was not responsible for the incident.

Moore spoke on her own behalf.

“I just want to say that I do have mercy, I am sorry for what I’ve done, and I do love my family,” she said. “Whatever it takes to get out, I’ll do it.”

“Here’s the problem,” Wilfong said. “Ms. Moore wants me and everyone else to believe that she made a mistake by allowing her daughter to be around Mr. Ratliff and that he just happened to be sexually abusing her… This was not a mistake. This was a calculated decision.”

Also in court Thursday:

– Several charges were dropped in the case of Derek Shifflett, 31, who is facing numerous charges of incest, first degree-sexual assault and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, and is going to trial next week.

The indictment alleges Shifflett had sexual intercourse with a family member under the age of 12 on numerous occasions between Oct. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2012. Jury selection is scheduled for Jan. 6 and the trial is set for Jan. 8, 9 and 10.

On Thursday, Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker submitted a trauma narrative from the alleged victim to the court and to Shifflett’s defense counsels, John and Chris Cooper.

Parker also submitted a motion to dismiss 66 of the 150 counts against Shifflett.

Parker told the court he sought to drop the charges “based on information that (the State) had obtained in preparation for the case.”

“We certainly don’t want to proceed to trial on counts that can’t be supported by evidence,” Parker said. “Basically, throughout our investigation we found a motion to dismiss specific counts.”

In a statement to The Inter-Mountain, Parker said, “Based on the evidence available to the state at this time, the state has elected to proceed on 84 of the charges pending against the defendant. The charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”

– Andrea Dawn Phillips, a.k.a. Andrea Dawn Cale, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor, and is facing up to one year in a penitentiary. Her sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 14.

– Aaron Cale pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, a felony, and is facing two to 10 years in a state penitentiary. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 14.

– The trial for Bryan Douglas Broseker, who is facing one count of transporting a controlled substance into a regional jail, a felony, and possession of a controlled substance by an inmate in a regional jail, a felony, has been continued for Feb. 4. Jury selection is scheduled for Feb. 3.

– The trial of Buddy Lee Leary, 41, a former Tygart Valley Regional Jail correctional officer accused of forcing a female inmate to engage in sexual acts, has been continued to May. Jury selection is set for May 7 and the trial is set for May 8.

Contact Chad Clem by email at cclem@theintermountain.com.

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