We get a chilling narrative unlike any other with HBO Max’s “How To Create A Sex Scandal,” which delves deeply into how simple it can be to not only invent a crime but also probably get away with it. After all, the intricate connections related to a pedophilic crime that may or may not have occurred in a little town in East Texas are meticulously detailed in this three-part documentary series. Shauntel Mayo, a mother of three, was one of those charged. If you’d want to know more about her, her alleged transgressions, or her current situation, we have the information for you.
Who is Shauntel Mayo?
Shauntel’s entire world went upside down in 2003 when she admittedly started using drugs, which caused both her professional and personal lives to fall apart. This was due to the fact that by the time 2005 rolled around, Child Protective Services had been at her door to take her three children away from her and her ex-boyfriend Jamie Pittman. They were Shelby, Hunter, and Carly, and they were immediately put with Margie and John Cantrell, who were career foster parents. In 2004, they moved from Vacaville, California, to Mineola, Texas.
Then came the accusations that Shauntel, along with her lover, her mother, her stepfather, and a few other well-known people, had been a part of a sex ring where they taught their children and had them act at a swingers club. These accusations, which were made by the kids themselves, rocked not only their hometown but the entire country to its very core. The mother of three did enter a plea of not guilty, leading to a well reported trial in 2008 that culminated in her conviction and 25-year sentence to life in prison without the possibility of release.
After all, Shauntel was found guilty on two charges of engaging in sexual performance with a kid and one count of participating in organised crime, so the neighbourhood felt relieved. That is, until she and the other defendants were given plea deals in exchange for early release and a waiver of the need to register as sex offenders, practically guaranteeing they had specific charges against them. Two out of three of her children have now retracted their claims and claim they don’t remember ever being exploited, abused, or wounded by mom at all. She accepted this offer and spent about four years in prison.
Where is Shauntel Mayo Now?
According to Shauntel’s narrative in the documentary series, the adjustment period during her first few months of freedom was extremely difficult for her, but she had developed a thick skin as a result of experiencing sexual assault while imprisoned. She remarked, “Prison was horrible, but I learned how to fight. “I was heavily pursued. There was no longer a cause for me to survive. But I was aware that God wouldn’t abandon me there. I spent my time reading law books and studying the Bible. Given how hard I worked, I could have undoubtedly passed the bar test in 2011. Although she was soon after released, she was aware that due to the terms of the plea deal she had accepted, she couldn’t see her children until they were 18 and made contact with her directly.
Fortunately for Shauntel, both Hunter and Carly helped her find some closure, clarity, and happiness despite all the pain (Shelby still insists the sex scandal was all genuine). It is widely believed that the children’s foster homes manipulated them into believing something awful had happened, despite the fact that she did blame herself for the longest time under the assumption that if she hadn’t become involved with drugs, none of this would’ve happened.
Shauntel has since made amends with herself, though. She claimed in the first performance, “My children haven’t forgiven me fully.” “But I do. Because I needed to forgive myself in order to be their mother, I had to do so. Regarding her current situation, it appears that she is still living in Mineola, Texas, where she is trying her best to forget the past. Although she did have anxiety and initially had problems obtaining employment after her release, it appears that she is now making the most of her situation.
