LIVINGSTON - Cynthia Perkins, a former teacher who pleaded guilty to her role in a disturbing child sex crimes case involving her ex-husband, will spend 41 years in prison without parole.

Perkins rattled off a lengthy apology to the victims, as well as her friends and family, before the judge handed down the sentence Friday.

"I would also like to apologize to my three children. I haven't spoken to them in three years. I love them and I miss them, and I'm sorry," Perkins said.

A scathing letter written by one of Cynthia's family members and read in court Friday called her "horrible" and "manipulative".

 "I think what you heard today was a lot of pain in there from a lot of people, and it really goes to show you the damage that people can do with these evil acts," Assistant Attorney General Barry Milligan said.

The former Livingston Parish school instructor made a deal with state prosecutors earlier this week, pleading guilty to only a handful of the more than 100 combined charges she and her ex faced, securing her conviction on three counts: production of child pornography, second-degree rape and mingling of harmful substances. 

Cynthia Perkins' guilty plea included admissions that she filmed a child in the bath and served pastries laced with her husband's bodily fluids to some of her students. 

"I want to apologize to the victims, my students, because now they have to worry about what really happened," Cynthia added.

As part of the deal, she must also testify against her former spouse—Dennis Perkins—during his upcoming trial in the same case. 

"She had culpability and that's what she took responsibility for. That's what she took a 40-year sentence for," Milligan said. "But if they say this wouldn't have happened without Dennis Perkins, I'm inclined to agree with them."

Cynthia filed for divorce after the couple's arrests in 2019. She claimed Dennis, who was a Livingston Parish sheriff's deputy at the time, manipulated her into participating in his crimes. 

Another witness painted a different picture of Cynthia's involvement, calling her Dennis' "huntress."

"Cynthia, you've most definitely proven to be the most deceitful person ever. Now I want everyone listening to know you were one of my best friends… I did everything to keep you safe. I loved you," they said. "I hope for the next 41 years you pray to your soul for the lives you have destroyed and the victims you have hurt."

Dennis Perkins is expected to go to trial later this year.