Jackson County, OH – A Jackson County woman and her boyfriend have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in child sex crimes involving two young children.
Charissa Lea Watkins, 32, of Jackson, was sentenced to 26 years to life after being convicted of charges related to the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old child. Watkins was indicted on four counts in January, including two counts of endangering children, one count of obstructing justice, and one count of tampering with evidence. According to court documents, Watkins failed to protect the children, placing them at risk of harm, which led to physical abuse. She was also accused of helping her boyfriend, Homer E. Siders, impede the investigation and tamper with evidence.
Siders, 41, of Waverly, was sentenced to 36 years to life after being indicted on 17 counts in January, including two counts of rape, one count of gross sexual imposition, one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, and 13 counts of pandering obscenity involving minors. The charges stemmed from incidents that occurred between July 28, 2024, and January 7, 2025, involving sexual abuse of his girlfriend’s daughters, aged 6 and 4.
The rape charges are classified as first-degree felonies, while gross sexual imposition is a third-degree felony. The pandering obscenity charges stemmed from allegations that Siders distributed, photographed, and recorded explicit materials involving minors. Seven of the pandering counts are second-degree felonies, while six are related to possessing obscene material featuring minors.
Both have been taken into custody.
