Renner sentenced to 5 years for sex with underage boys

Friday, April 27, 2012
Kristina Renner

Calling Kristina D. Renner "perhaps the most addictive personality I've run across in terms of drug, alcohol and sexual addiction," Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter suggested Thursday that she needed "some significant time in jail."

And Putnam Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley complied, sentencing the 42-year-old Cloverdale woman to a total of five years in prison -- 2-1/2 years to be served with the Indiana Department of Correction with an additional six months on home detention and the remainder suspended.

Judge Headley reminded Renner she is to have no contact with any child under the age of 16 and ordered her to enroll in a sex offender program while incarcerated.

Renner was arrested last Oct. 4 on charges she had sexual contact with as many as five teenage boys in the Cloverdale area during 2003 and 2004.

At the time of the encounters, the boys ranged in age from 14 to 17, court records indicate, while the suspect was 33 or 34 years old. The boys are now all age 21 or older.

In a plea agreement, Renner pled guilty to two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, involving two different teenage boys.

"Child abuse has no boundaries, social, economic or professional," Judge Headley said before handing down a sentence that brought Renner to tears with the reality she was going to jail.

But the case was about more than illicit sex, Judge Headley and Prosecutor Bookwalter assured.

Judge Headley prefaced Renner's sentencing by referencing what he called her "delinquent behavior."

"You've used drugs forever, and that scares the heck out of me when you're an RN and you're using drugs and supposed to be taking care of people like me."

Her RN license has been suspended, pending the outcome of court proceedings, which now should do nothing to change that status.

"So basically," Bookwalter said, "you've lost your family, you've lost your home and you've lost your career, is that correct?"

Renner said that was true, admitting she is not only addicted to sex but also to drugs and alcohol.

A presentence investigation noted in court Thursday afternoon indicates Renner admitted using alcohol and methamphetamine as recently as two weeks ago.

Under questioning about her history of drug use, which reportedly has included LSD, crack cocaine, Xanax and meth, Renner said she used meth "often."

"What is your definition of 'often'?" Prosecutor Bookwalter asked.

"Once or twice a week," Renner responded.

However, Renner then disputed earlier statements that she had supplied drugs and alcohol to the boys with whom she engaged in sex.

"That's not true," the Cloverdale woman said.

During his final comments, the prosecutor responded to that remark. "I don't buy this argument there wasn't drugs or alcohol involved," Bookwalter told the court.

Renner last month agreed to a plea agreement in which she entered a guilty plea to two counts as Class D felonies.

In return for those guilty pleas, the three remaining counts filed against Renner were dismissed.

Still, she could have received a maximum sentence of 20 years, Judge Headley noted.

"You got a significant break when you signed the plea agreement," he said before pronouncing sentence.

Both Headley and Bookwalter noted that the plea agreement saved the victims from having to testify in open court about the sexual incidents of their youth.

Renner, who was represented by Indianapolis attorney Steven Barry Geller, originally pleaded not guilty to all five charges during an initial appearance in court Oct. 6. She originally had been charged with:

-- Two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class B felony, regarding sexual intercourse and/or deviate conduct with a child at least 14 but less than 16.

-- One count of child seduction, a Class C felony, involving fondling or touching the genitals of a male at least 14 but less than 16.

-- One count of child solicitation, a Class D felony, involving solicitation of a child age 14 or 15 to engage in sexual activity.

-- One count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor involving aiding or inducing a person less than 18 to commit an act of delinquency. Renner was specifically charged with inducing the boys involved to smoke marijuana and consume alcohol.

While the acts themselves occurred seven or eight years ago, the illicit activity came to light after one of the boys came forward with information late in 2010.

That boy's recollections led authorities to the other boys, all reportedly his friends, who subsequently cooperated in the investigation. Only two boys ultimately agreed to testify, Bookwalter said.

Renner initially was ordered immediately taken to the Putnam County Jail. However, attorney Geller quickly asked that she be allowed to "put her affairs in order" and report to jail on Monday.

Judge Headley agreed, ordering Renner to report to PCJ Monday morning to begin serving her 2-1/2 years of incarceration, less four days credit for her initial time in jail.