Two girls ages 16 and 12, adopted by Jason Wesley Hignight and his wife Carly, were allegedly sexually abused by their adopted father. The girls were adopted from foster care three years before.

Oklahoma City police sergeant Maurice Martinez adopted 3 children and had 3 children in foster care (all boys), four of whom were allegedly sexually abused by their adoptive/foster father. Martinez also allegedly allowed his adopted children to physically abuse each other and never notified the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
Police found photos and videos of his children being abused and homosexual pornography.

In addition, Martinez was also accused of intimidating witnesses from cooperating with police, conspired with a teenager to break into his home and steal evidence before police could seize it, and gave $400 to a victim to send him on a bus to Utah to obstruct the investigation.

John and Roseanne Kincheloe adopted two girls from foster care. John Kimcheloe allegedly forced one of the girls to perform oral sex on him, while Roseanne Kincheloe allegedly hit one of the girls with a broom and strangled her in the bathroom and asked her if she wanted to live or die.

Katya and Lisa, aged 4 and 5 were beaten to death in Krasnodon, Luhansk/Lugansk, Ukraine. The adoptive mother, Svetlana Oakley is charged. The girls were adopted along with their biological brother Vanya in December 2010 by Svetlana and Alexander, who had 7 children already. Vanya was also beaten.

In February 2011, 3 months after the adoption, the 4 year old was beaten to death, then burned to hide the crime.. In November 2011, the 3 year old was beaten to death and buried. Svetlana kidnapped a 3rd child in July 2012 to try pass as Lisa for an upcoming Social Worker visit. The child was found by the police during the search for the missing girl, which resulted in the discovery of the missing girls. The Mother had been lauded as a Heroine Mother due to her 7 prior biological children (8th child born after the adoption), so she was given a large apartment. Svetlana and the children had a singing group Rainbow and she wrote children's books or poetry.

7-year-old boy from Magadan (Russia), adopted by Gary and Jessica Beagley, was forced to drink Tabasco sauce as a disciplinary measure. Beagley, a member of the LDS church, talked about her parenting style on the TV show "Dr Phil", November 17, 2010.

17-year-old girl adopted from Zacapa, Guatemala by Renee and Scott Dean was sexually abused by her adoptive father. She was adopted along with 4 siblings in 2008.

Six children adopted by Anya James were physically abused by their adoptive mother.The children were confined in small rooms with alarms on doors and windows to alert James if they tried to escape. They had to use kitty litter buckets as toilets. James homeschooled the children and allowed only minimal contact with the outside world.The children were malnourished because James severely restricted their diets, police say. Their growth was stunted to the extent they didn't go through puberty as teenagers, and some children had downy hair cover (Lanugo) due to starvation.

Between 2000 and 2010, James received $750,000 in adoption subsidies from the State of Alaska.

An adopted girl and foster child in care of Sharon Wilkerson were beaten with various instruments, including an arrow, a plumbing supply line, a curtain rod and hangers.

Girl (age unknown) was sexually and physically abused by her adoptive father and his son. The adoptive mother, Glenda N., failed to protect the girl.

As a result Glenda N. informed authorities that she no longer wanted Jaclyn in her home due to the possible risk she believed Jaclyn posed to her younger sibling as well as Glenda's unborn child.

6-year-old boy adopted by Randal and Christine Arnold was beaten, pushed down the stairs,  and starved, to the point that the boy only weighed 30 pounds. At age three the boy had weighed 31 pounds. He had starvation induced lanugo hair growth. Upon examination doctors also found various straight line, u-shaped and horseshoe type markings across the boys body consistent with the buckle of a belt found at the house.

Christine Arnold was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years. Randal Arnold was found guilty and sentenced to 18 years.