Religious leader sentenced for 1980s child deaths

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A woman who once ran a Florida religious group described as a cult by prosecutors has been sentenced for the 1980s deaths of two young children. Alachua County court records show 79-year-old Anna Young was sentenced to 30 years on Wednesday after pleading no contest to second-degree murder and negligent manslaughter. Officials say Young operated the House of Prayer cult near Gainesville in the 1980s and 1990s. Prosecutors say Young caused the death of a toddler named Emon Harper sometime between 1988 and 1989 through abuse and starvation. Officials said Youngs was also responsible for the death of Katonya Jackson, who died in 1983 after being denied medication.