Breana Harmon Talbott faced felony charges last year for lying about being raped by three black men. On Tuesday, she was sentenced to eight years of deferred adjudication probation – a type of probation that could seal the felony conviction from her public record.
According to the Sherman Herald Democrat, in addition to the deferred adjudication probation, Talbott is required to pay more than $8,000 in restitution to cover the expenses authorities spent investigating the case and her untruthful claims. She is also required to pay a $2,000 fine and serve 160 hours of community service.
Talbott reportedly testified that she wanted deferred adjudication because she aspires to be a nurse, which a felony conviction could prevent, the Sherman Herald Democrat reported. According to the Office of Court Administration in Texas, with a deferred adjudication under Texas law, the arrest for the charge will remain on her public record, but she could file a petition for an order of nondisclosure to have the conviction off her public record.
#BreanaHarmon aka #BreanaHarmonTalbott sentenced to probation for making up story about 3 black men kidnapping her and raping her. Nothing new. Look up #EmmettTill, the #ScottsboroBoys & the #GrovelandFour
https://t.co/q15azTUOFi via @kfor
#TimesUp for #MeToo
#hysteria— Tranquil Jackal MRA (@TranquilJackal) March 23, 2018
The Denison Texas Police Department reported last year that Talbott's alleged sexual assault was a hoax. In a press release, the police department said they received a call that Talbott was missing on March 8, 2017.
"She told witnesses at the church she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the woods behind the church," the release read in part. "There were also visible cuts and/or scratches on her body."
Talbott told police that three black men wearing ski masks had kidnapped her, and two of the men raped her while one man held her down. The department said detectives had "doubts" about Harmon's allegations and closed the investigation once it was realized it was a hoax.
"Breana Harmon Talbott’s hoax was also insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community due to her description of the so-called suspects in her hoax. The anger and hurts caused from such a hoax are difficult and all so unnecessary," the statement read.
