Woman accused of letting Ind. molester abuse son

OMAHA, Neb. -- A Sidney woman sexually abused her son and allowed a man now serving a life sentence for child pornography to do the same, according to court records.

The 40-year-old mother remained in jail Sunday on charges of sexual assault of a child and conspiracy. The Associated Press isn't using her name in order to protect the privacy of the boy, who will turn 10 this month. Court documents show he's been placed in state custody.

The mother hasn't yet entered a plea, according to court records. She's due back in court Dec. 14.

No phone number was listed for the woman. A message left Sunday for her attorney wasn't immediately returned.

The woman may have started abusing her son in January 2005 and, on at least one occasion, allowed William Mulligan to stay at her apartment and take part in the molestation, according to the criminal complaint filed this past week in Cheyenne County District Court.

Milligan is serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Illinois. He pleaded guilty to child pornography charges after he and two women were arrested for a 2008 sex party in a Terre Haute, Ind., hotel room with two children, ages 3 and 11. Photos were taken of the molestation, and Milligan sent the images to at least five other men on the Internet, according to court documents in that case.

In the Nebraska case, authorities say in an affidavit that Milligan told an FBI investigator about sexually abusing the boy and was granted immunity from prosecution for providing information about the mother's involvement. According to the document, Milligan said he met the woman through an Internet chat room and was sent videos of her abusing her son in hopes he'd move to Nebraska to be with her.

In court records, police say the woman told them she had a sexual relationship with Milligan and that he visited her, but denied her son was abused.