An Oklahoma mother has been sentenced after a jury found her guilty of enabling the prolonged a***e of her 11-year-old daughter and multiple counts of child neglect. Prosecutors said the child was forced to endure unimaginable suffering without proper prenatal or medical care, leading jurors to recommend a life sentence. The heartbreaking case has shocked communities across the U.S. and renewed calls for stronger protections for vulnerable children.

An Oklahoma mother has been found guilty after prosecutors alleged she failed to protect her 11-year-old daughter from sexual abuse by her husband, who later fathered the child’s baby.

Cherie Walker was convicted Friday, July 17, of one count of enabling child sexual abuse and six counts of child neglect following a jury trial in Muskogee County, according to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE.

Jurors recommended a sentence of life in prison on each count. Walker will be formally sentenced at a later date.

The verdict came after four days of testimony from emergency responders, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, Department of Human Services employees, church members and family members, according to the court docket. The jury ultimately found Walker guilty on all seven counts.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in August 2025 after authorities learned an 11-year-old girl had given birth to a baby inside the family’s Muskogee, Okla., home without prenatal care or medical assistance.

Prosecutors alleged Walker knew her husband, Dustin Walker, was sexually abusing their 11-year-old daughter and failed to protect her, according to KJRH.

Dustin pleaded guilty on March 26 to one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12 and six counts of child neglect. He was later sentenced to life in prison for the sexual abuse conviction, along with consecutive prison terms on the child neglect convictions, according to News On 6.

Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson previously addressed the lasting trauma the child experienced as a result of the abuse.

“This child is traumatized,” Hutson previously told News On 6. “She’s been through a horrific ordeal. Not only has somebody gotten her pregnant, but she gave birth at home without medical assistance, and this will be her life for the rest of her life.”

The investigation has also led to charges against the victim’s grandmother, Michelle Justus. She has pleaded not guilty to a child neglect charge and is expected to stand trial on July 23, according to KJRH.