Accused nanny may not get chance to raise newest baby
PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - When her first child was born, Marissa Mowry was 25 years old and the baby's father was 11 years old. Now, she's pregnant again with what will be her third child.
Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office investigators say Mowry was the live-in nanny who took advantage of the family's trust and molested the boy. She is now facing 15 counts of sex battery that could have her locked up for decades.
The victim’s mother, whom we’ll call Anne, is now raising her grandchild.
"How could I have been so stupid...I should have caught something,” she told us earlier this year.
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Court records show Mowry later had a second child with another boy who was 16 years old at the time. In another twist, that 16-year-old is related to the 11-year-old victim by marriage. Mowry has yet to face charges in that case.
Now, as she prepares to give birth again, her bonding time may not last long. Attorney Anthony Rickman says there is a good chance the Department of Children and Families is already preparing to strip Mowry of her parental rights.
"The state now has a vested interest. The state can now shelter the child from the mother. That means the child can be placed in an actual shelter," said Rickman.
Or, Rickman says, they could assign custody to a third party like the child's father. Sources say the father is Mowry's ex-boyfriend, who may want full custody.
What is clear is that another child will likely grow up without a mother.
“You’re always watching for that creepy uncle,” added Anne. “They don't tell to watch out for the nanny who's going to mess with your son.”
Mowry is now transported in a wheelchair for her court appearance. She is expected to give birth soon.