JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri woman has been sentenced to consecutive sentences totaling 90 years for multiple counts of statutory sodomy and child molestation, Attorney General Chris Koster announced Monday.
Melinda S. Tillitt, 39, of Shelbina, Mo., was accused of sexually abusing two female children, ages 8-14, at her home since at least 2007.
A statement from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office says Tillitt engaged in “a variety of deviate sexual intercourse, at times holding the children under water to compel compliance.”
The Shelbina Police Department began the investigation after the victims confided in a trusted church member.
“The long sentence gives them a measure of security that they will not be hurt by her again,” Koster said in a statement.
Tillitt’s husband, Kevin T. Tillitt, is also charged with rape and sodomy against the victims. His trial is scheduled for May 9, 2017.
