Cases

3-year-old boy, adopted by Osanna and Angel Bravo from foster care was found unconscious in a bathroom, requiring immediate surgery for a skull fracture and brain bleeding. The adoptive parents were arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of child abuse.

12-year-old girls, adopted by Cynthia Greenwood was sexually abused by the biological son of her adoptive mother. Instead of informing authorities, Greenwood arranged an abortion for her adoptive daughter, to protect her son.

2 girls from Ethiopia adopted by Joyce Maynard  in 2010 were disrupted and placed with a new family 14 months later.

John Hintz was charged with felony child abuse for mistreating his seven year old son who he and his wife adopted in November 2010. According to reports the child was forced to do push-ups with closed fists on rocks while Hintz placed his foot on the child's back. That was after learning the boy had stolen a candy bar.

Authorities say when the child could no longer do push-ups, Hintz forced him to run laps until he had blisters on both feet.

The child told authorities he also was forced to eat all of his Valentine's Day candy and drink five glasses of soda in one sitting, causing him to vomit.

In a previous abuse and neglect report filed by Southern Elementary, it stated that on Feb. 10, both of the child’s adopted parents met with school personnel and told school officials they no longer wanted the child to have treats or rewards because they felt the sugar was affecting his behavior.

Three boys adopted by William Fox were sexually abused by their adoptive father. William Fox made headlines in 1981 when talking a teen boy out of committing suicide. Fox later adopted the boy and wrote a book about his experience. He also received the National Father of the Year Award. William Fox adopted 10 boys in total, three of whom filed complaints about sexual abuse.

An Italian couple bought a three days old baby from a Romanian mother with whom they had previously made a deal.

6-year-old boy adopted from foster care by Kathlyn Anthony was forced to sleep in a plastic dog crate. Connecticut Department of Children and Families investigated previous allegations of abuse, but wasn't able to substantiate those.

Three boys, 2 adopted and 1 pre-adoptive placement were raped by single father Kenneth H. Brandt. He allowed two other men to have sex with one of the boys. Brandt had adopted/gotten custody the 3 boys and a girl from Texas in 2011. The children briefly enrolled in public education, but were removed from school, to be home-schooled. Prior to the adoptive placements, Brandt had at least 6 foster children in his home.

Brandt pleaded guilty to 6 counts of rape and was sentenced to 60 years.

Erickson and Neiman created an inventory of unborn babies by finding women who would travel to Ukraine to have embryos from unknown donors implanted, according to the FBI. If the pregnancy lasted until the second trimester, the attorneys would offer the babies to prospective parents by falsely representing that the unborn babies were the result of legitimate surrogacy arrangements, but that the intended parents had backed out.