LIMA — A woman who allowed one of her children to be sexually abused by a man who is now serving 30 years in prison for those crimes was ruled competent to stand trial during a hearing Thursday in Allen County Common Pleas Court.
Crystal Kindle, 39, was indicted Feb. 16 on three counts of attempted rape, four counts of gross sexual imposition, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, four counts of compelling prostitution with human trafficking specification, four counts of promoting prostitution with human trafficking specification, six counts of endangering children with human trafficking specification, 19 counts of illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance with human trafficking specification, and four counts of trafficking in persons-commercial sex acts.
She has entered not guilty pleas to the charges, all of which are felonies, and is being held in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Thursday’s hearing was to update all parties on a recent forensic psychological evaluation performed on the defendant. The evaluation, the second Kindle has undergone, came at the request of defense attorneys Joe Benavidez and Linda Gabriel.
The case is associated with the crimes committed by Ronald Payne, who was sentenced in December to prison on numerous sex charges related to crimes against children that occurred between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 27, 2015. One of the victims was a 12-year-old girl and the other was a 15-year-old girl.
Officials said the crimes began with Kindle giving Payne photos of one of the victims in exchange for money. It progressed to the 12-year-old going to Payne’s home. Payne then sexually assaulted the girl, according to court documents. He did the same to the 16-year-old, telling her if she didn’t want her younger sister to be subjected to him, the older child could take her place.
A prosecutor said Kindle used the money to fund her drug habit. All charges are specific to one child, a prosecutor said.
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