An Independence woman is sentenced to life in prison without parole for 25 years for sex crimes against a child.

35-year-old Madeline Nichole Traughber entered a plea of no contest to charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child on Tuesday in a Montgomery County courtroom. A no-contest plea allows the defendant to accept the legal consequences of a charge without admitting guilt. The judge, F. William Cullins, then sentenced Traughber to what is known as the Kansas Hard 25, which means she will spend 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. If parole is eventually granted, Traughber would remain under lifetime parole supervision. She is also required to register as a sex offender.

Court documents indicate that the crimes Traughber was accused of occurred between January 1, 2023, and November 29, 2024, and involved a child under 14 years of age.