An American mother has been ordered to fulfill child support obligations to a man she claims raped her when she was 16, and she has also lost custody of their daughter.
In 2005, Crysta Abelseth’s life took a drastic turn after she accepted a ride home from John Barnes, currently 46, as reported by Hammond local news station WBRZ’s investigative team.
Reflecting on the incident, Abelseth, 32, disclosed, ‘Instead of bringing me home, he brought me to his house. Once inside, he raped me on his couch.’
Out of shame, she conveyed a different narrative to her friends and relatives, indicating that the pregnancy resulted from a relationship she had at the time.
Abelseth had a daughter and moved forward with her life until her alleged abuser learned about their then-five-year-old daughter in 2010.
Barnes, the proprietor of a digital branding site, initiated a legal battle against Abelseth to secure custody rights.
Despite Abelseth filing a sexual assault report against Barnes in 2015 and vehemently contesting for her child’s care, her custody rights over the 16-year-old were revoked last month due to an allegation by Barnes regarding a cellphone purchase for their daughter, as reported by WBRZ.
Judge Jeffrey Cashe’s ruling also mandated Abelseth to provide child support to her alleged rapist, a decision strongly criticized by her advocates as a major miscarriage of justice.
Barnes has not faced any charges related to the allegations filed by Abelseth seven years ago.
Regardless of whether the sexual encounter was consensual, an assertion refuted by Abelseth, it would still be deemed as statutory rape given the age of consent in Louisiana being 17.
Abelseth encountered Barnes in 2005 outside a bar, where he offered to take her home after her friend left early. She claimed to have been sexually abused at his home.
Documents obtained by WBRZ revealed that a DNA test confirmed Barnes as the child’s father. At the time of conception, Barnes and Abelseth were 30 and 16, respectively.
‘Everyone assumed it was from a boyfriend, and I let them believe that,’ Abelseth told WBRZ.
‘When my daughter was five years old, he found out about her, and once he found out about her, he pursued custody and wanted to take her away from me.’
‘They granted him 50/50 custody despite the fact that the child resulted from rape,’ she added.
The 32-year-old mother lost custody of her daughter last month and is required to provide child support and legal fees to Barnes.
Abelseth is now striving to regain custody of her daughter, who is 16, the same age as she was when she was allegedly assaulted by Barnes.
Abelseth asserted that she has faced threats from Barnes, who has influential connections.
She believes that the sexual assault report she filed against him with Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office has not been thoroughly investigated.
