NH- Judge cites boy's 'raging hormones,' reduces woman's sentence for sex with teen

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12-14-2008 New Hampshire:

NASHUA – A 38-year-old woman was sentenced to prison Monday for sexually assaulting a teenage boy she initially accused of rape.

Robin Mowery of Nashua was convicted in June of four counts of felonious sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault involving a friend of her teenage daughter. Mowery was 35 at the time; the boy was 15.

Prosecutors wanted her to serve 8 1/2 to 21 years behind bars, but Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Robert Lynn handed down a lesser sentence of two to four years. She will receive credit for 180 days already served.

"Like it or not, an underage boy having sex with an older-aged girl is viewed differently than the other way around," Lynn said at the sentencing hearing.

Lynn said he weighed the extent of the teen's victimization against how aggressively the boy pursued Mowery.

"Young men have raging hormones. It doesn't make him a bad person," said Lynn, who also noted that the teen also tried to use the relationship as a "bargaining chip" to escape penalty for crimes committed as a juvenile.

Lynn also chastised Mowery for falsely testifying that the teen forced her to have sex at knifepoint. She also claimed he threatened to rape and kill her daughter if she spoke about their affair.

"That was complete baloney," the judge said.

Mowery's lawyer, Adam Cook, asked the judge to consider his client incompetent and strike the verdict. Mowery's parents and sister echoed his claims that Mowery is mentally ill and needs help, but the judge said a doctor had found her competent.

Mowery's sister, Jaime Manning, said the divorce of their parents and abusive relationships caused Mowery to concoct elaborate stories.

Assistant County Attorney Patricia LaFrance said prosecutors are reviewing Mowery's testimony for untruths and could pursue more charges. The teen's father also addressed the judge, saying the assaults changed his son and that he worries that further emotional problems will surface when he's older. ..News Source.. by UnionLeader.com