WYOMING, Mich. — Two Wyoming parents who are facing abuse charges involving their adopted children appeared in court Tuesday.
Kris and Alan Jones, of Wyoming, each face three counts of torture and three counts of child abuse. Torture is a felony in Michigan and carries a maximum life sentence if convicted.
They appeared in court Tuesday morning for a preliminary hearing.
Among those who testified Tuesday were a Wyoming City detective, a former coworker of one of the children, and one of the children.
The Kent County Prosecutor's Office alleges there were three children in the home at the time of the abuse, and that the children were tortured for more than a decade.
According to a probable cause document filed in 62A District Court, Kris and Alan Jones became the legal adoptive parents of those three children in 2011.
In the years following, it's alleged the children faced poor living conditions that included being put in dog collars, and forced to eat dog food with milk and oatmeal with hot sauce. The children were also forced to run miles, were pushed down the stairs, held down, punched and choked.
Investigators said the abuse began around March 2013 and continued until June 2023.
Several complaints were made with Child Protective Services, which claimed the parents put dog collars on the children and locked them in the garage for extended periods of time.
Documents say Kris didn't cooperate with Child Protective Services and wouldn't allow workers to talk with the children.
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to Child Protective Services for comment.
"The MDHHS and its employees are committed to keeping kids safe and this incident is incredibly upsetting. We are cooperating with law enforcement in this investigation and are reviewing the case. If we determine we are able to discuss anything further after our review, we will do so," Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Public Information Officer Bob Wheaton said in a statement.
The allegations continue to claim Kris Jones would remove the carpet from the garage steps, leaving the child forced to sleep on the concrete in all weather elements.
The parents would take the children's shoes from the garage so they couldn't run away. When one of the children was forced to spend time in the garage, she would eat dog food because she was so hungry.
When one of the children was caught eating food in the trash at her school, the parents allegedly made the children run miles daily as punishment.
Investigators also said Kris Jones demanded the children be supervised when they were bathed and needed permission to use toilet paper.
According to court documents, the children's weight and height were documented as under the 4th percentile of the CDC growth guide. No CPS referral was ever made.
In 2017, one of the primary care providers for one of the children said Kris wasn't responding appropriately to the care plans and noted possible neglect.
Bond was denied for both parents.
Anyone, including a child, who suspects child abuse or neglect can call 855-444-3911 to make a report. You can visit Michigan's Children's Protective Services website for more resources.
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