Couple who took in 16 foster kids convicted of abuse ‘under the guise of discipline’

LANSING, Mich. (Gray News) - A Michigan couple is accused of abusing their adopted and foster children under the “guise of discipline” for financial gain, according to authorities.

Jurors found 59-year-old Tamal Flore guilty of six counts of first-degree child abuse, two counts of second-degree child abuse and three counts of third-degree child abuse, a press release said.

Her husband, 61-year-old Jerry Flore, was convicted of a single count of second-degree child abuse, which carries up to 10 years in prison. Jurors acquitted him on nine other abuse charges.

The Office of the Michigan Attorney General prosecuted the case, alleging the couple routinely mistreated children brought into their home since 2007.

According to a report from The Detroit News, the Flores were accused of abusing seven of the 16 children they fostered or adopted. The children reportedly described being whipped with a belt, beaten with metal and wooden spoons, and locked in rooms or the garage for days.

Children were also forced to sleep in a marked kitchen area called “the square” for weeks at a time, perform strenuous punishment exercises and had food withheld if they did not complete daily housework.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11.