Hays woman sentenced to nearly 5 years after incident with 14-year-old
By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
A 22-year-old Hays woman was sentenced to almost five years in prison after pleading guilty to having sex with a teenager at KVC Wheatland Hospital.
According to Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees, Skylar Madison Henson was sentenced earlier this month to a total of 59 months in prison after reaching a plea deal on three separate charges.
Henson was sentenced to 59 months for aggravated indecent liberties with a child, 59 months for aggravated indecent liberties with a minor and 15 months for distribution of marijuana. As a result of the plea agreement, the 59 months for aggravated indecent liberties with a minor and the 15 months on the drug charge will run concurrent to the 59 months for aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
Court documents allege Henson, while working as an employee at KVC Wheatland, had sexual relations with a 14-year-old on three occasions in 2018 and also provided the juvenile with marijuana brownies. Henson was 21 at the time of the time.
Henson was also ordered 25 years of post-release supervision and 25 years of sex offender registration.
According to court transcripts provided to Hays Post, Henson’s lawyer, Olavee Raub, made a motion during sentencing for a downward departure of the sentence of 59 months for a lesser sentence.
Henson chose to testify at the sentencing and admitted that she had an inappropriate relationship with the victim and said she informed a staff member at KVC of the relationship. She also told the court she was dealing with abuse she had suffered in the past and she was addressing her issues.
“In all honesty, I’m not scared to go to prison,” Henson said. “So that’s not why I’m crying. I’m crying because there’s so many people in this court that love me and trusted me, and I hurt them and I caused pain.”
During cross examination, she testified that she knew staff members were not to have relationships with patients and that she knew the hospital is for juveniles who suffer from abuse or mental issues.
Henson also apologized during allocution to the children at KVC.
“I cared so much about them and because of my actions and my choices, I had to abandon them in one of the most confusing times of their lives,” Henson said.
Ellis County Attorney Drees argued that the 59 month sentence is an “appropriate sentence” and that Henson understood her obligations to the children at KVC.
“She knew he was a child suffering from ongoing illness,” Drees said. “She took advantage of that relationship where he was locked up in the hospital, a patient in the hospital. She was 21. He had just turned 14. She chose to have this relationship.
“We have factored in her younger years of 21 years of age,” Drees added. “We have factored in her full cooperation with law enforcement. That’s why we’re asking the court to run these (charges) concurrent.”
Raub argued that the incident was a lapse in judgement.
“If she could take it back she would, but she can’t,” Raub said.
Chief Judge Glenn Braun denied the motion for downward departure, noting the victim’s mother said “she needs to be punished.”
“The court does not believe that the evidence is substantial enough or compelling for the court to deviate from what the law mandates under these circumstances,” said Braun.