CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA: Ashleigh Watts, who is facing multiple charges for allegedly sexually abusing two teenage boys, was recently seen sunning herself in her father's Virginia Beach home.
Watts, 38, is currently on house arrest after being bonded out of jail.
The parents of the alleged victims, who lived across Watts' marital home, had expressed their outrage by hanging a banner above their front porch that read "Pedophiles are not people." At her father's house, however, Watts faces no such daily public shaming.
What did Ashleigh Watts do?
According to the police report, Watts, 38, is accused of grooming two 15-year-old twin brothers who lived across the street from her and were friends with her own son.
The allegations include plying the teenagers with marijuana and engaging in unprotected sexual activities with one of them on multiple occasions while her husband and children were in the same house.
The second boy revealed that Watts had given him 22 pairs of her skimpy Victoria's Secret panties and had made unwarranted advances towards him, groping him and attempting to pull down his jeans.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the father of the teenage boys expressed his anguish and disbelief.
He stated, "Something has got to be very wrong with you to mess with a kid like that. She's disgusting. My wife is devastated. It's horrible for our kids. It's horrible for her kids as well. It's caused a lot of devastation and heartbreak. I'm upset, angry, at a loss for words really."
Ashleigh Watts relaxes during house arrest
Despite the gravity of the allegations and a potential 30-year prison sentence hanging over her, Ashleigh Watts was recently seen in photos obtained by Daily Mail looking relaxed as she sipped a drink and chatted on the phone.
She was photographed at her father's Virginia Beach home, out on bond, but still under house arrest.
When asked for a comment, William Deihl, Watts' father, initially denied her presence and then refuted the allegations, telling the outlet, "Everything you're writing is false. You ain't investigating s**t."
Watts initially appeared to be a wholesome stay-at-home mom who lived with her husband and children in a suburban home.
"She was a friend, a good friend. She drove our kids to school," said the dad, who wasn't identified as his two boys are alleged sexual assault victims. "We had an open-door policy. We all hung out, we were always eating dinner together, the kids would play together. It was a really cool place."
Watts was actively involved in the community, driving kids to school, and even performing dance routines with her daughter on TikTok. However, these allegations have shattered her seemingly perfect life.
Ashleigh Watts pursued teen twin brothers
The disturbing events began to unfold in 2022 when Watts allegedly began pursuing the teenage boys who lived across the street.
The situation escalated in February 2023 when her husband discovered her in a compromising position with one of the boys.
The twins' father, still grappling with the shock of the discovery, shared, "From what I understand it was every day. Sexual things or just hanging out, probably a combination of the two," he revealed.
"When I found out what was happening and how long it was going on for, honestly, it just completely blew my mind. He's just a kid. He's supposed to be out running around with his buddies and meeting girls his own age and stuff like that. What she did was completely wrong. She had sex with a 15-year-old kid," the bitter father noted.
Subsequent revelations only made the situation worse.
"The next day we started to figure out about the other boy. That's when we found the underwear in the kid's room. We were like, what the hell," the dad continued.
"From what I know she touched him and he got uncomfortable with it. I think she gave him the underwear to get him going or something like that. It's definitely a grooming situation."
Cops investigate allegations
The case came to the attention of the authorities when an anonymous tipster reported an adult female having sex with two juveniles in February 2023.
The twins' parents sought a protection order to keep Watts away from their children, citing an ongoing police investigation. By May, Watts' husband had filed for divorce and moved out of their marital home.
As the investigation continued, the twins' parents hung a large anti-pedophile banner to publicly shame Ashleigh Watts, who had to pass it every time she left her home.
Tensions in the neighborhood escalated, leading to a physical altercation between one of the twins and another resident in July 2023.
The situation reached a climax when one of the twins ran away from home and was later found hiding in Watts' bedroom.
Subsequent searches of her home revealed large amounts of cash, marijuana, and a prepaid cell phone.
Ashleigh Watts was arrested on August 17, 2023, on three felony counts of indecency with a child. She is scheduled to appear in court again in October to face the legal consequences of her alleged actions.
As the legal proceedings continue, the community remains shocked and concerned for the well-being of the alleged victims, offering counseling to the affected teenagers.
The father of the twins summed up the situation by saying, "They are good kids. They were completely manipulated. This whole ordeal is crazy. You read about stuff like this in the tabloids, but you never think it could happen to your own family."
