DOVER – Lying about a nonexistent pregnancy during a messy divorce may land a local woman in jail for up to seven years.

Brianne Sexton, 28, was convicted of perjury this week in Strafford County Superior Court for testifying during her divorce hearings that she was pregnant with triplets, even providing a false sonogram to back up the claim, when she was in fact not.

Sexton's conviction for perjury, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $4,000 fine, comes during a years-long contentious divorce and custody fight between her and Dennis Antaya.

Antaya is the father of Sexton's two sons, and the couple share custody.

During the divorce proceedings, which began in 2002, Sexton made numerous unfounded allegations against Antaya, including that he abused and neglected their children and that he was terrorist. At one point, Sexton also claimed to have had breast cancer. All of the allegations were later deemed false.

Sexton's perjury conviction stems from a January 2005 hearing in which she claimed to be seven months pregnant with triplets.

Marital Master Stephanie Nute questioned the claim during the hearing, saying Sexton looked "extremely slim," but Sexton said that was a result of a previous bout with anorexia.

"It was clearly apparent that Brianne Sexton was not pregnant with any child at the time of that hearing," Nute wrote of the January hearing in an October 2005 order. "The Master placed her under oath and asked her directly if she was, in fact, pregnant with any child or three children and she responded yes. The Master does not believe that was truthful. Shortly thereafter, her attorney withdrew."

Antaya and the state Division for Children, Youth & Families also questioned Sexton's pregnancy claims.

In the same October 2005 order, Nute questioned Sexton's psychological state because, among other things, Sexton falsely reported to U.S. marshals that Antaya, who worked for a railroad, planned to derail a train. Sexton herself was later arrested for lying to police.

Sexton's psychological state has become a significant factor in the divorce and decisions over who would get custody of her two children, even as Antaya worked and Sexton did not.

"In a 'normal' case, the fact that one parent was available most of the time and that the other parent worked a significant period of time and was away from the children would argue that the available parent should have more parenting time," Nute wrote in a September 2006 order. "Unfortunately, there is nothing normal about this case."

Sexton is expected to be sentenced within 60 days of her conviction Wednesday, but a date had not been set as of yesterday.