Woman convicted of molestation
A Lake County judge on Thursday rejected Yolanda Dipert's claim that she was forced to molest a pair of children over a four-year period.
The Cuba Township woman had laid the blame for the hundreds of acts against the children -- many of which were photographed -- at the feet of her ex-brother-in-law, but Circuit Judge Fred Foreman saw it differently.
"I do not find her testimony to be credible, I believe it was incredible," Foreman said in finding Dipert guilty. "I find she was a willing and active participant."
Having been found guilty of multiple counts of predatory sexual assault of a child, Dipert, 46, will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison when she returns to court May 12.
She and her ex-brother-in-law Lee Dipert, 52, were arrested in July 2006 when a relative found child pornography on Lee Dipert's computer and called police.
Yolanda Dipert claimed in her testimony Wednesday that Lee Dipert had forced her to molest the 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl by telling her he had guns and making her believe she would be killed if she did not.
But Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata said in his closing argument that Dipert did not tell police that story when she was arrested, nor did she call police anytime from 2002 to 2006 as the abuse continued.
"I would respectfully submit that everything she said was utterly ridiculous," Kalata said. "It was a lie upon a falsehood upon a fabrication."
Assistant Public Defender Jennifer Snyder said Lee Dipert overcame the wills of the children and Yolanda Dipert, the woman he professed to love.
"We can all sit here and second guess, but none of us were in her head," Snyder said. "She sat here yesterday and gave us a picture of what her nightmare was."
Lee Dipert, 52, of Valparaiso, Ind., pleaded guilty last year to predatory sexual assault in exchange for a sentence of 40 years in prison.
In addition to finding her guilty of predatory sexual assault, Foreman also convicted Yolanda Dipert of criminal sexual assault and child pornography.
He ordered held without bond in the Lake County jail until her sentencing hearing.