Woman who lied about rape gets prison

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Thursday, October 12, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A woman who lied about getting pregnant through date rape and abandoned her newborn in a trash bin was sentenced to prison for the statutory rape of the baby's father, her 12-year-old cousin.

Twyana Davis, 30, claimed in 1995 that she had been raped at a party, and told her story in a book and on television.

Davis was sentenced Tuesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to 10 to 25 years in prison. She had confessed to having a sexual relationship with the cousin, leading to her pregnancy.

Judge Michael J. Holbrook labeled her a sexual predator and fined her $10,000.

She told the judge she is trying to become a better person.

"With all respect to you, there is a judge we all have to stand before some time," she said.

Davis confessed to clear her conscience and claimed the sex was consensual, said defense attorney Byron Potts. He blamed her actions on a poor upbringing and abuse when she was a child.

In November 1995, Davis left her daughter in a trash bin at Ohio Dominican College, where she was a student. The girl survived, and Davis was convicted of child endangering.

She wrote "Sacred Womb" and formed Second Chance of Life, a nonprofit group aimed at preventing teen pregnancies and providing alternatives for young mothers who don't want to keep their babies.

Her work led to appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "20/20."