An Ankeny woman has pleaded guilty to making a false report of sexual abuse and is slated to be sentenced later this month after a fallout with her business partner.
Kimberly Reicks, 40, a right-wing activist known as "Iowa Mama Bear," rose to prominence as a conservative who opposed mask mandates in schools and her continued fight over a student organization's after-school drag show at Ankeny High School last year.
As reported by the Des Moines Register, Reicks was accused in Polk County District Court in October 2022 of making false accusations of sexual abuse in the home of her former business and activism partner as a form of harassment.
Reicks Accused Peterson's Son of Molesting His Sister, Father of Secretly Filming Her Daughter
Reicks had a falling out with her former activism and business partner, Emily Peterson, and also accused her of having an affair with her husband. After the business relationship turned sour, Reicks allegedly pretended to be Peterson's neighbor and called the Iowa Department of Human Resources, to report that Peterson's teen son was molesting his 10-year-old sister.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by Iowa Starting Line, made a second call to the agency after she and Peterson dissolved their business partnership. Again, as a neighbor, Reicks alleged that Peterson's husband broke their teenage daughter's phone after she caught him recording him while she was changing.
However, authorities found both the allegations to be untrue. Police said Reicks knowingly made false reports of abuse, which led to law enforcement involvement, to harass her former business partner.
Reicks Pleaded Guilty to Charges
On Wednesday, Reicks made a written guilty plea to one count of making a false report of a criminal act, a misdemeanor. The other count in that case would be dismissed under the plea agreement, according to court documents.
A judge accepted the plea, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 20. It is unclear how the guilty plea will affect the six charges in a related harassment case.
A judge ruled against Reicks last year after she sued the Ankeny school district and alleged the district retaliated against her and her daughter after she spoke out against the district's mask requirements. The case remains pending in appeals court.
