Asheville woman convicted in child exploitation case

ASHEVILLE, NC (WSPA) – An Asheville woman has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to crimes against a minor in a Buncombe County court on Monday.

According to a press release from the Buncombe County Prosecutor’s Office, Asheville police began an investigation into 31-year-old Lynette Lydia Rivera in August 2023 after the county’s Department of Social Services (DSS) received a report about her two-year-old child.

The report states that a family member of the child, who had temporary custody due to another DSS investigation into Rivera, said they had received a tablet computer from Rivera containing explicit videos.

Further investigation revealed that Rivera had recorded sexually explicit videos of herself on the table. The videos showed her grabbing the child in such a way that the child came into contact with Rivera’s bare buttocks and anus.

Rivera pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and will serve 44 to 113 months in prison with the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

Rivera must also register as a sex offender for 30 years and has no contact with the child for the rest of her life.