In a Cleveland County courtroom on Wednesday, a judge formally entered a not-guilty plea for Ashley Rowland, the mother of missing Oklahoma City toddler London Kerr, in a case investigators say is still very much active. Rowland is charged with enabling child abuse tied to allegations that surfaced while authorities searched for London, who was 2 years old when she was last seen in April 2022. The plea marks the latest turn in a case that has already seen the arrest of Rowland’s boyfriend, Joshua Denton, and fresh public appeals from law enforcement for tips.
Rowland enters not-guilty plea
According to News 9, court records show Rowland pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of enabling child abuse. The filing follows an investigation that produced multiple affidavits and led to arrests in 2025 connected to London’s disappearance. No new evidence was made public during the hearing, News 9 reports.
Allegations detailed in court records
Court documents and reporting describe interviews with other children in the home that revealed allegations of severe mistreatment, including claims that Denton struck London with a wooden paddle, shot her with a BB gun and forced other abusive acts. As reported by Law&Crime, Denton faces multiple felony counts, including six counts of child abuse, along with charges of forcible sodomy and lewd acts involving a minor who is not London. Rowland is charged with enabling child abuse and a pattern of criminal offenses, according to affidavits and jail records cited by Law&Crime.
Investigation and search efforts
London was last seen in April 2022 and is considered missing and endangered, investigators say. Moore Police initially handled the case before Oklahoma City detectives took the lead. As outlined by KOCO, investigators report they have searched multiple properties and storage units and recovered items consistent with a small child. Authorities are still urging anyone with information to call the Oklahoma City Police Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200 or Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.
What comes next
Both Rowland and Denton remain in the Cleveland County Detention Center on bonds set last year, according to court records reported by People. With Rowland’s not-guilty plea now on the record, the case moves into the pretrial phase, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will exchange evidence and decide whether to set a trial date. Investigators say locating London remains the top priority and that they will continue to follow up on any credible information that comes in.
