Photo: Kent County Prosecutor’s Office
A couple in Michigan is facing numerous charges of child abuse for allegedly forcing their kids to wear dog collars and eat dog food. Court documents allege that Kris and Alan Jones have been abusing their three adopted children since 2013.
The couple allegedly made their kids sleep on the concrete floor in the garage and made them run laps around the house when they misbehaved. They also made them wear dog collars and fed them dog food, oatmeal, milk, and hot sauce.
The documents state that one of the kids was seen eating food out of the garbage at school because they were so hungry.
A primary care provider notified authorities about potential abuse in 2017, but the couple refused to cooperate with investigators, and no formal referral to Child Protective Services was ever made.
Kris and Alan Jones were both charged with three counts of torture and three counts of child abuse.
"Very often in any type of child abuse, child sexual abuse, its usually someone close to them, it is a parent, it's a caregiver, its a relative," Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. "It's that relationship of trust that has been violated, and then it puts that child in a situation where what do they do, and it is very difficult for them to come forward."