Staff photo / Ed Runyan Shawna Mayfield, left, of Warren, looks over the plea agreement Mayfield reached with prosecutors Wednesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. At right is her attorney, Heather Ninni with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office.

WARREN — Shawna Mayfield, 28, of Warren, pleaded guilty Wednesday to eight counts of rape, five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, one count of child endangering and one count of sexual conduct with an animal.

She had no previous criminal record, but the plea agreement she reached with prosecutors calls for her to get a prison sentence of 30 years to life, Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Gabe Wildman told Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Rice.

Mayfield also must cooperate with prosecutors and testify against her husband, Justin Mayfield, 37, of Warren, who faces similar charges to Shawna Mayfield, Wildman said.

Shawna Mayfield gave a “proffer on the record” regarding the things she will testify to, Wildman said. If she fails to cooperate, her plea agreement will be voided, and she could be convicted on all of the charges in her indictment, including those that will be dismissed as part of her plea agreement, Wildman said.

Shawna and Justin Mayfield have been held without bond in the Trumbull County jail since their arraignment

The day the Mayfields were arraigned, Wildman described the case as one of the most egregious he has seen, and said there is a “mountain of evidence,” including statements from others and text messages where the couple allegedly boasted about abusing children.

He said there are videos showing Shawna Mayfield engaging in sexual acts with a 4-year-old child and both Mayfields forcing another child to engage in adult behavior. Wildman also talked about messages in which the couple bragged about trading child abuse videos.

Wildman said Justin Mayfield has a criminal history including violent offenses but said Shawna Mayfield has no previous record.

The couple, who lived on Waverly Avenue NE, was indicted by a special grand jury Sept. 4, following a tip from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on July 28.

Justin Mayfield faces seven counts of rape, first-degree felonies with sexually violent predator specifications; one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony; and four counts of endangering children, second-degree felonies.

The children who were abused were ages 3 to 7 at the time of the offenses. A search of their home Aug. 13 uncovered large quantities of marijuana in the kitchen, dining room and a lunchbox, as well as an illegal marijuana-growing operation in the basement, contributing to the child endangerment charges.

Shawna Mayfield has been in Trumbull County jail since her arrest Aug. 13, initially on a $1 million bond after missing a hearing.

Justin Mayfield was arrested Sept. 5.

The pandering offenses include the elements that Shawna Mayfield participated in the creation of, recording or publishing of material that shows a minor participating in sexual activity.

Shawna Mayfield’s rape convictions state that she engaged in the behavior from June 2023 through last August. The penalty for each rape count she pleaded guilty to is 10 years to life in prison.

The sexual conduct with an animal is a second-degree misdemeanor that can result in up to 90 days in jail.

Justin Mayfield was not in the courtroom at the same time as his wife, but he did have a pretrial hearing in the matter about an hour before his wife’s plea hearing. He is set for trial Jan. 20, and prosecutors have made a “final offer” to him, Wildman said.

Justin Mayfield’s attorney, Brendan Keating, told Rice that he made a counteroffer to Wildman. Rice asked Wildman to state the offer, and Wildman said it is 50 years to life in prison.

Keating said his counteroffer is “more commensurate with what (Shawna Mayfield) is getting). I might add (she) is charged with more crimes in the indictment.” His counteroffer is “more time, but it’s less than 50 to life,” Keating said.

The parties will return for another pretrial at noon Monday in Justin Mayfield’s case. There is no sentencing hearing date yet for Shawna Mayfield.