Va. woman with wife admits bigamy; didn’t divorce husband first

WAYNESBORO, Va. — A woman who married her female partner last year without first divorcing her husband has pleaded guilty to bigamy and other charges in Virginia.

The News Virginian of Waynesboro reports 28-year-old Keyshana Rae Childress was sentenced to two years’ probation.

Prosecutors say Childress signed a marriage license in October 2014 and lied about being married. Childress was already married to a 51-year-old man from Charlottesville. After marrying her 27-year-old female partner, Childress took her three children to Gainesville, Florida.

In January, the husband told police Childress took the children to Florida without his permission and against a child custody and visitation order.

Childress was charged with one felony count of bigamy, one felony count of perjury and three misdemeanor charges of custody violations.

“The marriage was voided because the defendant was legally married to another person,” said Robert Garnett, assistant commonwealth’s attorney.