Six children adopted by Martin and Kathleen O'Brien

Six children (four of whom from Russia, and 2 of whom are from Guatemala) adopted by Martin and Kathleen O'Brien were allegedly abused by their adoptive parents.The Russian children were bio siblings adopted in 2004 at approximately ages 5-11. Some of the children were homeschooled.

The O'Briens are charged with:

• Stripping the children naked as part of punishment.
• Dragging the children by their arms while the children were naked.
• Kicking the children in the groin.
• Spraying the children in the face and on the neck and chest with pepper spray.
• Bending a child’s arm into a “compliance-type” arm bar.
• Hitting the children with a stick.
• Slapping the children in the face.
• Stabbing one child in the hand with a knife.
• Grabbing children by the throat and lifting them off the ground.
• Striking children in the groin with a knee.
• Picking one child off the floor by an ear causing the ear to tear and bleed.
• Striking children with a ruler.
• Placing one child in a “bin” while Martin O’Brien struck the outside of the bin with a log.
• Striking one child in the chest with a flashlight
• Forcing the adopted children to eat frozen loaves of bread off the floor before bedtime while the biological children watched.
• Forcing the children to stand naked in the snow three to four times a year.
• Locking the children in a bedroom for four to five days at a time.
• Beating the children with a belt.
• Choking one child because of a prayer he said