‘Worse than prisoners of war;’ Ohio couple accused of torturing adopted children

BATAVIA — An Ohio mother and father are accused of torturing and cruelly abusing their five adopted children.

Shackled and slumped Matthew Edmundson appeared in front of a Clermont County Judge to turn herself in, according to our news partners at WCPO.

The 49-year-old is facing child abuse charges.

The victims are her five boys.

First fostered, then adopted, with her husband Charles Edmonson who is already serving a three-year sentence for a sex crime.

Investigators in the case said Charles had videos on his phone of his children being punished.

“It was merely a happenstance that we found all this incriminating evidence regarding the horrible abuse of these of these special needs children,” Mark Tekulve, Clermont County prosecutor said.

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Prosecutors said the five kids were kept in a “dungeon” when they were punished, and they had no food or clothing.

Their mother would then talk to the children through a camera similar to cameras pet owners would talk to their pets through, the prosecution said.

The sheriff’s office said the children had been in and out of the hospital for “bruising, bleach burns and potential internal bleeding.”

“Matthew and her husband Charles have told the kids not to talk to anybody. We have that on video. You’re not just talking to anybody. ‘Police are bad, CPS bad adults are bad. Don’t talk to the nurse talk to nobody,’” Dattilo said.

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The children have been relocated to foster care since February.

Both the defense and prosecution said they are safe and are starting to share their story.

A judge set Matthew’s bond at $500,000 with the condition of having no contact with the alleged victims.

Both Matthew and Charles were indicted on five counts of child endangering, third-degree felonies.

If convicted, they could face up to 18 years in prison.

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