Always Trust Women... Until You Can't
Faked pregnancies and actual rapes don't mix
10/26/20262 min read
An Arizona judge sentenced Laura Owens to 30 days in jail and seven years of probation. Prosecutors say the 35-year-old woman engaged in two fraudulent pregnancy schemes, including one against “The Bachelor” star, Clayton Echard. The fraud included faking pregnancies, ultrasound images, a pregnancy video, and lying under oath during civil paternity proceedings.
The schemes with the two men in the case took place between May 2023 and June 2024, shortly after Echard appeared as a contestant on "The Bachelorette". Owens admitted to sharing intimate moments during that time via oral sex, but states there was never any sexual intercourse.
Owens was initially charged with 14 felonies but reached a deal in August, pleading guilty to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury and one count of taking the identity of another. The latter two charges did not involve her crimes against Echard.
The jail sentence is less than the State and the victims requested. Prosecutors, along with their senior investigator, described Laura’s frauds dating back a decade and included other men in the past.
I don’t want to belittle women who claim they have been raped, but… if a woman can lie about actually being pregnant, being pregnant to a guy with whom she only had oral sex with, and… even if true could have been proven wrong by a paternity test, why can’t we be suspicious of a questionable rape – often a “he said, she said” issue?
Women deserved to be trusted; deserve their claims of rape to be taken seriously. However, women such as Owens do all women a disservice. This woman deserves more than 30 days in jail. She deserves at least a year. She needs to be made an example of, not just as punishment, but to make life fair for all women victimized by sexual abuse.
Investigators found that Owens went to "extreme lengths to manipulate men" into thinking she was pregnant through falsified medical records, photos, videos and pregnancy tests. If she were a man, she would know it was a stupid thing to do. Any man with a brain would would want a paternity test before starting to fork out money for a possible child.
Echard stated, "It's been a lot of years of watching Laura do a lot of damage to a lot of men. She faked medical records. She fakes medical conditions. She's faking pregnancy. She faked twin pregnancies multiple times, and it finally caught up to her.” Sadly, it will also affect women who are actually in those positions trying to get financial help from actual fathers. Again, one month is not enough time.
Echard also added, “Laura’s been carrying out these tactics for at least ten years. She’s not sorry. She’s sorry she got caught,”
During the sentencing, prosecutors recommended five years and five months with a total of 10 years of probation, but the judge ultimately gave Owens just the one month and a deferred 12-month sentence should she violate probation. In my opinion, more time and an apology to all women is more appropriate.
Source used: USA Today