Shawnee County husband and wife charged with sexually assaulting child since 2008
Wife to be tried in January, husband in May
A Shawnee County husband and wife will stand trial on charges they sexually assaulted a girl from the time she was 10 until she was a teenager, according to Shawnee County District Court records.
On Thursday, Kenneth E. Seel, 37, 5720 S.W. 93rd, was bound over Thursday on 11 criminal charges of sexually abusing the girl. A 12th count charged Seel with aggravated endangering a child.
Also charged in the case is his wife, identified by court records as Tiffany L. Seel, 34, of 5720 S.W. 93rd.
The 12 charges Kenneth Seel faces are felonies.
Kenneth E. Seel was bound over on:
¦ Two counts of rape.
¦ Two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child (lewd fondling).
¦ Two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy.
¦ Two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in a visual depiction.
¦ One count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child (sexual intercourse).
¦ One count of criminal sodomy.
¦ One count of another felony sex assault.
¦ One count of aggravated endangering a child.
Tiffany Seel is charged with 11 felonies, which are the same as her husband’s case except she faces one fewer sexual exploitation charge. Tiffany Seel also is charged with a misdemeanor count of battery.
On Oct. 28, Tiffany Seel was bound over for trial on the 11 felonies, and the misdemeanor was certified for trial, court records said.
A court document from Tiffany Seel’s case broadly explained the scope of the charged offenses.
Kenneth Seel and Tiffany Seel began to sexually molest the victim in 2008, the court record said.
Tiffany Seel “actively participated” in acts of sexual misconduct against the victim and also aided, abetted and failed to prevent Kenneth Seel from engaging in similar acts of sexual misconduct, the court record said.
The prosecution expects evidence will show Tiffany Seel committed these acts for her own personal sexual satisfaction, to curry favor with her husband and to maintain her relationship with him, the court record said.
A preliminary hearing was conducted in the case of Kenneth Seel on Dec. 21, but District Judge Mark Braun deferred ruling then on whether to bind him over for trial until the judge could view photographs linked to the two sexual exploitation counts.
On Thursday, Braun said in court that he viewed “well over” 100 photographs and found that some were clearly pornographic.
Braun said in a “good number” of the photographs, children were being used to violate the statutes.
When asked for his pleas in the charges, Kenneth Seel remained silent, and Braun entered not guilty pleas on the 12 counts on his behalf.
Prosecution and defense attorneys said they thought the Kenneth Seel trial would last one week. That trial will start on May 23.
Tiffany Seel’s jury trial is to start on Jan. 25.