ST. GEORGE — A Toquerville woman convicted in a high-profile child abuse case is appealing her sentence.
Brandy K. Jaynes, 36, pleaded guilty in August to three counts of intentional child abuse causing serious injury, a second-degree felony.
The case caught international attention because of the severity of the abuse.
Jaynes' 12-year-old son was locked in a small, feces-filled bathroom for more than a year. When he was found, he was lying on the filthy bathroom floor, severely malnourished and unable to move because his legs weren't strong enough due to years of neglect.
He weighed just 30 pounds when he was found. All the while, Jaynes watched her son deteriorate on her phone or tablet from cameras she had set up inside the bathroom.
Based on the boy's mental and physical development when he was found, prosecutors believe he could have been locked up anywhere four to eight years.
Jaynes pleaded guilty to each of the counts, apparently hoping the judge would have some leniency if she took responsibility for what she did.
But 5th District Judge Eric Ludlow essentially threw the book at Jaynes, sentencing her to three consecutive terms of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, the maximum possible penalty.
Ludlow called the abuse "deplorable" and "appalling," and told Jaynes at sentencing, "I’ve never seen anything like this. It's unbelievable, quite frankly."
Jaynes' attorney, however, argued at sentencing that what his client did should have been considered as one continuous criminal event, and not three separate charges or three different acts of abuse.
Jaynes made a brief court appearance Tuesday, claiming she was indigent and needed a court-appointed attorney for her appeal.
The boy has made great strides since being removed from the house, according to prosecutors.
The case of Russell Orin Jaynes, 40, Brandy Jaynes' estranged husband, was still ongoing as of Tuesday. He is charged with child abuse, a third-degree felony.
Prosecutors have called the father's actions "reckless" but have contended that Brandy Jaynes was the primary culprit.