10 Shameful Facts About Brooke Lajiness, The Married Mom Who Seduced Underage Boys

6 /10 The Plea

Lajiness did not contest the charges. She pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal s*xual conduct for oral s*x with a 15-year-old, two counts of third-degree criminal s*xual misconduct with a 14-year-old, one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, and one count of furnishing obscenity for children for the Snapchat photographs.

“This is the biggest regret of my life,” Lajiness told the court. Lajiness received up to 57 months in prison.

5 /10 A Mother's Plea

The sentencing began after a heartfelt statement from one of the victim’s mothers, who laid out the pain and confusion her child was still experiencing.

“You made a conscious effort on several occasions to make arrangements to meet my son…leave your husband and children at home…Our society has fallen prey to the world of social media.”

She went on to express the abuse from peers her son was now experiencing.

4 /10 An Outpouring Of Support

Despite the guilty plea and the mother’s heartfelt statement, the court received numerous letters supporting Lajiness. Many of the letters appeared to attempt to shift the blame to the victims.

In addition to those upsetting letters, Lajiness’ husband appealed to the court, blaming a bout of insomnia. Lajiness herself wasn’t opposed to shifting the focus away from her, citing domestic abuse years as the reason for the affairs.

All of these attempts, some earnest and some ugly, fell on deaf ears. Assistant District Attorney John Vella swerved the focus back to the guilty party.

“No one is blaming where it deserves, which it was this defendant’s actions that brought her here.”

3 /10 The Possibility Of Other Victims

Vella did not discount the possibility that there were other victims. “This case involves a defendant seeking out minors for s*x,” said Vella, implying that the likelihood it wasn’t Lajiness’s first time.

But Lajiness’s attorney, David I. Goldstein, insists that the crime was an isolated incident. “He keeps talking about ‘minors,’ but there’s one.”

Goldstein went on with the victim-blaming, pointing out that the first victim introduced Lajiness to the second.

2 /10 A Lawyer's Certainty

Goldstein remains an advocate for his client, fighting back against any claims that she is a child predator.

He claimed she wasn’t sure why she did it, but she took full responsibility for her actions. “She’s not a predator,” he said, “and with counseling, she’s not likely to do it again.”

1 /10 Trying To Find Redemption

As for Lajiness, the mother is working on recommitting to her husband. She created a Facebook post during the trial that seemed to be an attempt at reconciliation:

“In life, nothing is guaranteed. So finding someone who knows all your flaws, weaknesses, and mistakes is something to hold onto and never taken for granted.”

Judge David S. Schwartz acknowledged that, though the behavior was inappropriate, it was clear there were underlying psychological issues that had led to the crime.

Cases such as these occur far too often in reality. Though they’re often played up for their salaciousness, the facts must be all that matters when brought before the court.

Though such delicate issues are often fraught with severe mental problems, it’s always necessary to put the victims first.