Woman faces excess of 700 years for child abuse charges

DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) - A 41-year-old woman potentially faces over 700 years in prison, after she was convicted by a jury of nine charges involving sexual abuse of two girls.

Lisa Marie Lesher, of Carrollton, Georgia, used to live in Falkville. According to the Alabama District Attorneys Association, Lesher was convicted of two counts of 1st degree rape, four counts of 1st degree sodomy, one count of 2nd degree sodomy, one count of sexual torture, and one count of 1st degree sexual abuse.

The trial was presided over by Morgan County Circuit Judge Stephen Brown. Testimony revealed that Lesher sexually abused two girls for several years at a home in Falkville, along with her husband, Michael. The case was first reported in 2007. The reason for the delay in the prosecution is unclear. However, District Attorney Scott Anderson reopened the case at the request of the victims soon after he entered the District Attorney’s office.

Anderson says, " this was one of the worst cases of child sexual abuse I’ve ever seen and once it was brought to my attention, we went to work on bringing these two monsters to justice."

He says that because of the delay in prosecution, his office had to reconstruct the entire case from the beginning. Lesher’s husband, Michael, was tried for his participation in the abuse last year and sentenced to 438 years in prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney Schellack and DA Investigator Johnny Coker.

Lesher is facing a maximum sentence in excess of 700 years.