Sex-abuse nanny gets extra 10 years' prison

Waldina Flores was escorted from court Friday with a decade added to her prison sentence.

A Broward judge tacked on the additional time to punish the convicted sex offender -- once a nanny in Plantation -- for sending love letters to Lauren Book.

Book, now 20, endured five years of sexual abuse at Flores' hands beginning when she was 12.

The relationship grew into a complicated one in which Book and Flores planned a future together: They would escape to Honduras and live on a horse farm, taking Book's younger brother with them.

''You made the decision to ruin my life,'' Book said in open court. She kept her voice steady and averted her gaze from Flores.

In theory, Circuit Judge Michael L. Gates could have added 120 years to Flores' 2002 sentence. Back then, the Honduran native pleaded no contest to child molestation and received a 15-year prison sentence -- and a clear, stern warning never to contact Lauren Book or her family again.

Flores, 36, ignored that warning and wrote several letter to Book, three of which made it to her as intended.

The letters were effusive declarations of undying devotion, packed with smiley faces, exclamation points and hearts.

''I will always love you and I belong to you,'' Flores wrote to Book.

Ron Book, a well-known lobbyist and Lauren Book's father, became tearful in court as he spoke of Flores, a woman he described as a ''despicable human being'' whose wanton abuse he said led his daughter to develop severe anorexia.

Defense attorney Charlie Kaplan argued otherwise, reminding the court that Lauren Book initiated the correspondence with his client and said that Lauren's mother even drove her daughter to the prison.

Then Flores herself addressed the court.

In a rambling and often incomprehensible speech, the indignant woman expressed regret that she didn't do more to ''help'' the children, especially the youngest Book child.

''If I have to be guilty for something, it would be for caring,'' she said.

Later, she acknowledged that she had done ''many things'' wrong.

It wasn't enough for Gates, who scolded her for her defying the no-contact order.

''My difficulty with Ms. Flores is that she shows no remorse,'' he said before adding 10 years to her 15-year sentence.

''Let me try again: There will be no more contact,'' the judge said.