Anna Cardwell says mom June Shannon ‘didn’t believe’ Mark McDaniel molested her

One of the ways Here Comes Honey Boo Boo‘s June Shannon may have justified the unjustifiable act of going back to the man who molested her 8-year-old daughter was by telling herself the original crime never happened — so says the victim, Anna Cardwell.

“A week or so after it happened, I talked to Mama and she was upset, crying and saying, ‘I don’t believe you, I don’t believe you, why would you do this to me?'” Anna told People of Mama June’s reaction to Mark McDaniel’s arrest more than one decade ago. “And I was like, ‘Mama, he did that to me and I can’t do anything about it. You were never there to see it you were always at work.'”

After June’s then-boyfriend was convicted of sexually abusing Anna, she moved in with her grandmother. She only returned to June’s home in 2012, shortly before the premiere of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

“Me and Mama realized we needed to put this behind us and get our relationship back on track and that’s what we did and that’s what we have been doing,” Anna said of how her relationship with June improved before Mark was released from prison in March. TMZ now reports June got together with Mark immediately after his release and that she was actually the one cheating on Sugar Bear before their official split last month.

Even though June’s denied seeing him, they were pictured together in a motel room, she reportedly bought a new car for him and they were seen looking at houses with her younger daughters. (He is pictured with 9-year-old Alana below.)

Anna, who now lives in Alabama with her husband and young daughter, said she initially believed her mom — but became convinced June is “seeing him and hanging around him” after receiving additional evidence. She said she feels very hurt.

“You know the past should be in the past and it should stay in the past and not come back out,” Anna said. “I would not let her see Kaitlyn unless Mark is out of the picture or away because I don’t want him nowhere near my child… Nowhere close to her.”

As we reported earlier today, June’s relationship with Anna isn’t the only thing at stake: A spokesperson for children and families in Georgia said it is generally very concerning to learn a young child is around a convicted sex offender and that it may lead them to “develop a safety plan” to ensure the child’s safety. In other words, it’s within the realm of possibility that June could lose custody of her three minor children if she doesn’t stop seeing Mark.

The family has already lost their lucrative reality show. Fortunately, sources say TLC executives have pledged to provide high-quality counseling services to Anna and the other girls.