Michigan couple found guilty of child abuse

Tamal Flore, 59, was found guilty on Monday in Lansing, Mich., of six counts of first-degree child abuse. The jury also returned verdicts on two counts of second-degree abuse and three counts of third-degree abuse. Her husband, Jerry Flore, 61, was convicted of one count of second-degree child abuse.

Jerry Flore was acquitted on nine other charges. The single count for which he was convicted carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The Office of the Michigan Attorney General prosecuted the case.

Authorities alleged the couple abused seven of the 16 children they fostered or adopted. The children described being whipped with a belt and beaten with metal and wooden spoons. They were also locked in rooms or the garage for days at a time.

Prosecutors claimed the couple mistreated the children under the guise of discipline for financial gain. The abuses reportedly began after the family started taking in children in 2007. The children were forced to sleep in a marked kitchen area called the square for weeks.

Additional punishments included strenuous exercise and withheld food if daily housework was not completed. Sentencing for both defendants is set for Jan. 11, 2027.