Jessica Willis, 26, just revealed details about the abuse she suffered at the hands of child molester of a father Toby Willis, 47, since she was a small child in a courageous essay. “As far back as I can remember,” Jessica writes. “I was sexually abused by my father. I figure I was around three years old in some of the earliest memories. Initially, I had no way to know that anything was wrong. When I did eventually come to realize the fact, I had no way to accurately express what was happening to me. There followed immense shame, distrust and hurt throughout my childhood –- even in the happy times.”
The America’s Got Talent performer also recounts how some suspicion regarding her dad’s secretive abuse arose when she was 9 years old. In fact, her mom even confronted Toby about it. “I didn’t realize there was zero evidence of anything specific and all I did was nod uncertainly when a few general questions were asked by my mother,” Jessica recalls. “I heard my mother raise her voice to my father for the first time in my life and I thought the adults would figure it out. I didn’t understand that my father simply denied any wrongdoing and became more secretive and dangerous from then on.”
And from then on, the abuse continued for years, both to her and her siblings. Later, when she was 23, Jessica recalled a moment when it sunk in that other members of her family were still being sexually abused. And yet even when confronted with a 14-page document outlining his abuse, Toby gas-lighted Jessica and told her she was lying. One day, enough was finally enough. “Halfway through the morning, my brother Jair and I had a disagreement and he went to our father,” Jessica continued. “Dad came down and confronted me. When I didn’t apologize, he took off his belt and beat me like when I was younger. He said it was his god-given responsibility to punish me. It was in that moment I knew. The threats and violence stopped working. No matter how it happened, I would leave by tonight.”
And leave she did. Jessica talked about the sickening nausea of fear she experienced as she made her escape. She had contacted her then-boyfriend, now-husband Sean through an emergency phone he got her, even though he had been excommunicated by Toby after it was revealed they were seeing each other. Although she kept her father’s secret hidden after leaving, when a family friend tipped authorities off, Jessica gave a full account of his actions that led to his arrest. On Jul. 11 2017, Toby pleaded guilty to four counts of child rape and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.