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CRIME Prosecutors explain light sentence for female sex abuser Convicted woman developmentally disabled Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 10:41 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 10:41 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Woman sentenced for sexually abusing boys at Talent trailer park... » Social News A woman who was sentenced to probation for sexually abusing boys at a Talent trailer park was given the relatively light sentence because she is developmentally disabled, not because she is a female with male victims, the Jackson County District Attorney's Office said. Commentators nationwide and some readers expressed outrage at the sentence, with one website poster asking, "Was she given a light sentence due to the fact that female sexual predators are often taken less seriously than their male counterparts?" Jackson County Senior Deputy District Attorney Terry Smith-Norton said Shawna Marie Nerby did not get sentenced to probation because she is female. "It has nothing to do with her gender. She has barely a 70 IQ," Smith-Norton said, referring to an intelligence quotient test in which people of average intelligence score in the 100-point range. Nerby, 25, of Lower Lake, Calif., was sentenced Monday to five years' probation after having sexual relations with two boys beginning when she was about 15 and the boys were about 6 and 8 years old. She lived at the Talent trailer park at the time. The sexual abuse continued into 2009, when Nerby was 19, according to court documents. Nerby was arrested Jan. 11 after the boys came forward about the abuse. She was initially charged with sodomy and rape, but pleaded guilty this week to lesser charges of attempted first-degree sodomy, attempted first-degree rape and attempted second-degree rape — all felonies. After serving nearly eight months in the Jackson County Jail while awaiting trial, Nerby was released this week after her plea agreement and sentencing hearing. Smith-Norton said in addition to having a low IQ, Nerby was a past victim of sexual abuse herself. "She had very little sense of normal sexual boundaries and behaviors," Smith-Norton said. "That doesn't excuse her actions. She does have three felony sex abuse charges on her record and will undergo extensive treatment." Smith-Norton noted although Nerby will not serve prison time, she did spend almost eight months in jail. "She's already been in jail for quite some time," Smith-Norton said. Nerby also lost custody of her son, according to court testimony. As part of her sentence, Nerby will undergo sex offender treatment and must register as a sex offender, pay restitution and counseling costs for the victims, provide a DNA sample and be tested for HIV, according to court documents. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 10:41 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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