DENVER -- A mother who left her two children in the long-term care of another family, even though she knew they were being abused, was slapped with the maximum prison sentence Friday.

Karen Stillman, 58, pleaded guilty in July 2009 to attempted child abuse with serious bodily injury and on Friday was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In giving her the maximum sentence, Denver District Court Judge William Hood said she was completely derelict in her responsibilities as a parent.

In the mid-1990s, Stillman left her son and daughter in the home of Eric and Linda Torrez, where they were repeatedly physically and sexually abused, prosecutors said.

Stillman's daughter, who is now 22, spoke at the sentencing hearing, saying her mother knew of the abuse but did nothing to intervene or report it. She and her brother, who is also in his 20s, reported the abuse in 2008, after they moved to Kansas.

Of the four family members accused of abuse, two are awaiting trial, one has pleaded guilty and another died before going to trial.

Eric Torrez, 47, and his wife, 46-year-old Linda Torrez, are expected to go to trial in February, Kimbrough said.

Their son, 23-year-old Patrick Torrez, pleaded guilty in October and is awaiting sentencing.

Eric Torrez's father, 81-year-old Andrez Torrez, died before going to trial.

The case came to light after the female victim ran away from the Torrez's home. She later reported in 2008 that her 5-year-old daughter had been sexually abused by Andrez Torrez, Kimbrough said.

Further investigation revealed that the victim, herself, had been sexually abused by the entire Torrez family, and at least three of her four children were fathered by one of her alleged abusers -- Eric Torrez, Kimbrough said.