According to reports, a Texas mother has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after allowing her 13-year-old daughter to marry a 47-year-old man. 

Cherry Payton, 43, was convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a young child after a visit to the doctor's office by her daughter led to authorities finding out about the arrangement. Court docs state that the teen girl revealed that she was sexually active with "her husband" who was 47-years-old. Payton was present during the visit and told the doctor that she consented to the marriage based on the family's religious beliefs. 

The teen victim was part of this marriage for at least a year before authorities caught wind of the arrangement. There was also evidence suggesting that Payton sexually abused the teen herself before the marriage. 

“Although the child victim in this case was failed by her mother time and time again, she was surrounded in the courtroom by a strong support system,” prosecutor Jessica Ramos said. “We are grateful to her adoptive mother, her court advocate, her CASA, and the caseworkers from Child Protective Services that supported the child throughout this investigation and trial.”

Source:wkbn.com