PAWNEE COUNTY– Liliana Guadalupe Houser, 45, of Garden City, appeared in the Pawnee County District Court Thursday afternoon before District Judge Bruce Gatterman for a Felony Arraignment, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.
Houser plead No Contest to three felonies including Unlawful Sexual Relations with a patient while employed by Kansas Dept. of Aging and Disability Services(KDADS), Traffic in Contraband in a Care & Treatment Facility while employed by KDADS and Obstructing in the Apprehension or Prosecution of a Registered Sex Offender.
In exchange for the plea, the State agreed to dismiss an additional count of Unlawful Sexual Relations with a patient while employed by KDADS and nine additional counts of Traffic in Contraband in a Care & Treatment Facility while employed by KDADS.
The charges stem from an ongoing investigation by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department following the June 30, 2021, escape of John Freeman Colt from the Sexual Predator Treatment Program located on the campus of Larned State Hospital. Colt was captured in Wayne Country Utah on September 27.
In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that had the matter proceeded to trial the State would have presented testimony that Houser, while employed at Larned State Hospital, engaged in a sexual relationship with Colt between January 17 and June 24, 2021, and that she sent sexually explicit videos to Colt utilizing the Facebook Messenger platform.
When law enforcement interviewed her on July 1, Houser failed to disclose her relationship with Colt or the existence of Colt’s Facebook account. It is the State’s position this nondisclosure was intended to assist Colt avoid apprehension as information contained in the account later played a crucial role in the investigation. The defendant did not make any statement regarding the State’s proffer of evidence.
Prior to accepting the plea, Judge Gatterman advised Houser she would be subject to register as a Sex Offender for a period of twenty-five years. Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines she faces a presumptive prison sentence between 31 months and 136 months depending on her criminal history.
Sentencing has been scheduled for February 17. Houser has been in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff since her arrest on October 8, on a Bond of $45,000.