Sheffield Lake woman gets life in prison, parole possible after 14 years, for raping boy

ELYRIA — A Sheffield Lake woman was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 14 years after being convicted of raping an 11-year-old boy with special needs and abusing another child. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery handed down the sentence to Hillary Trivett, 39. Two days of testimony in Rothgery' court, Sept. 8-9, ended with jurors finding Trivett guilty on seven felony charges: Three counts of rape, three counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Rothgery acquitted Trivett of a second count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Under Ohio law, a conviction for raping a child under 13 carries a sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 10 years. Rothgery ran three such prison terms concurrent to each other but consecutive to a four-year term for gross sexual imposition. A six-month prison term for disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, which means providing obscene material to a child, will run concurrent to the other charges. Trivett is now a Tier III sex offender who will have to register with her local sheriff's office every 90 days for the rest of her life upon release from prison. She got credit for eight days served in jail awaiting trial, and she was informed that attorney Denise Wilms will represent her on appeal because she can't afford to hire an appellate attorney. Given the chance to speak, Trivett alternated between sobbing and pleading Rothgery for leniency. She did not apologize to her two victims or their families but tearfully apologized to her family "for not being there." "I'm so sorry. Please have mercy on me and my family," Trivett begged Rothgery, "and I promise I will do anything to abide by anything that you need me to do, go through, counseling, anything, I'll do it all." Trivett took a moment to confer with her defense attorney, Michael Camera, before continuing. "I've always felt for (the child she raped). I feel bad if anything more has come to him," Trivett said, adding that she needs to learn how to "set boundaries," to stop trying to please everyone and that her kindness "can be mistaken for something else." Her husband and sister also asked the court for mercy for the mother of two and dental hygienist who had no criminal record. Brandon Trivett said his wife came from "a broken home" but still managed to give back to her community and help those in need. "I came here as a father to try and keep our family together, our family afloat," Brandon Trivett said. His wife's crimes were "heartbreaking" and "serious," but he told Rothgery the couple's two children also were innocent victims. "They still need their mother," Brandon Trivett said in court. "It's not about avoiding responsibility, it's about trying to preserve what's left." Hillary Trivett's family "needs her presence," her sister Brianna Thomas said through tears. Neither of the victims spoke and only attended the hearing in person. The Chronicle-Telegram does not name juvenile sexual abuse victims. Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tina Kishman, who tried the case with her colleague Susan Oates, spoke for them. Kishman's message? Don't rape 11-year-olds. "Everything so far that's been presented by the defendant in this case really doesn't indicate any remorse," Kishman said. "What I heard was that the true innocents in all this were the defendant's children." Hillary Trivett "is nothing short of a predator. She manipulated an 11-year-old child ... so she could rape him. She tried to do the same thing to (the second victim) but didn't get as far, thank God," Kishman said. The child Hillary Trivett abused was so manipulated by her that he feels bad for her, Kishman said. "He doesn't understand what happened to him," she said. "He doesn't grasp what happened to him, partially probably because of some of his special needs. But also because he was so young. He's going to understand more when he's an adult. He feels bad for what she did." The manipulation will affect the victim the rest of his life, Kishman said. "That's why you don't have sex with 11-year-olds," she said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com