A Kent County couple has been indicted on 646 charges for what Delaware prosecutors described as serial abuse and torture of their children.
Over 80 of the charges they face are felonies, including first-degree child abuse, kidnapping, conspiracy, strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child.
The state Department of Justice said in a release Wednesday that over the course of 20 months, 45-year-old Mary Vinson and 36-year-old Charles Vinson continuously abused and neglected their two children. The kids were hospitalized multiple times due to the mistreatment, which the department said included starving and force-feeding the children.
The abuse was caught on video by cameras that the parents set up in the children’s room, according to the Department of Justice.
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“These are the cases that keep us up at night,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a written statement. “The evidence in this case is disturbing and my prayers are with the victims who, thank God, are somewhere safe.”
The two children have since been transferred into the custody of the state Division of Family Services.
If convicted on all charges, the Department of Justice said Mary Vinson faces a minimum sentence of 40 years and a maximum sentence of more than 1,150 years. Charles Vinson faces a minimum sentence of 16 years and a maximum sentence of more than 270 years.
Anyone who suspects child sexual or physical abuse or neglect is asked to call the Division of Family Services hotline at 800-292-9582.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
