Broward woman made girl lie to cops after she was sexually abused, police say
A Broward woman is behind bars after she pressured a girl to lie to police saying she wasn’t raped by the woman’s boyfriend, according to detectives.
Amanda Elizabeth Walkes, 37, has been charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, tampering with a witness, and criminal attempt, solicit or conspiracy, county jail records show. Earen Kevin Huings, 49, her boyfriend, faces several charges including molestation, sexual assault, promoting the sexual performance of a child and aggravated assault. They remained behind bars at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach as of Tuesday afternoon.
According to their arrest reports, Huings sexually abused the child in the span of five years from Oct. 2017 until last month when the victim was interviewed by police. In her sworn statement, the girl said the abuse resulted in a pregnancy, which Huings terminated, and that he took sexually explicit photos of her.
On Dec. 17, Huings was arrested, and a judge ordered him to be held without bond and instructed him to have no contact with the victim or any other minor.
But according to Coral Springs police detectives, Walkes facilitated five phone calls between Huings, who was in jail, and the girl to make the victim recant her testimony.
“Walkes used the victim’s fear of DCF [Department of Children and Families], foster care, and the loss of friendships to pressure the child victim to drop the criminal charges against Huings,” investigators said in the reports.
On Dec. 20, the victim came to the Coral Springs Police Department to “falsely recant her sworn statement,” according to investigators.
According to the reports, Walkes failed to make a reasonable effort to protect the victim from abuse.
Following the investigation, Walkes was arrested on Jan. 11.
