From left: Jerry Flore and Tamal Flore (Clinton County Jail).
A Michigan couple faces potentially lengthy prison sentences after being convicted of abusing children they adopted and fostered, allegedly using “discipline” as a justification for the mistreatment.
A Clinton County jury convicted 59-year-old Tamal Flore of six counts of first-degree child abuse, two counts of second-degree child abuse and three counts of third-degree child abuse, authorities announced.
Jerry Flore, 61, was convicted of one count of second-degree child abuse. Jurors found him not guilty of seven counts of first-degree abuse and two other counts of second-degree abuse.
Each first-degree child abuse conviction carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison. Second-degree child abuse is punishable by as many as 10 years behind bars.
According to a press release from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the verdicts followed a six-week trial in the state’s 29th Circuit Court. The charges involved allegations that the couple mistreated children they had adopted or fostered since 2007. Prosecutors said the Flores took the children into their home “for financial gain” and abused them while portraying the conduct as discipline.
“Tamal and Jerry Flore subjected their foster and adopted children to prolonged, routine and systemic mental and physical abuse all for personal financial gain,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Children who become wards of the state are some of the most vulnerable and they must be protected. Today’s conviction ensures that no other children will be subjected to the Flores’ abuse again. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Clinton County Sheriff Sean Dush and the prosecutors in my office for their years of effort towards justice.”
According to a report by The Detroit News, prosecutors accused the Flores of abusing seven of the 16 children they fostered or adopted. During interviews with investigators, the children reportedly described being struck with belts, metal objects and wooden spoons, as well as being confined to bedrooms or the garage for days.
The children also reportedly said they were forced to sit and sleep for weeks in a section of the kitchen referred to as “the square.” They were allegedly made to perform “strong sitting” exercises as punishment.
The parents—particularly Tamal Flore—were also accused of assigning the children all of the household chores and withholding food when the work was not completed.
David Carter, the attorney who represented Jerry Flore, said he and his client were “deeply grateful” for the jury’s time, attention and commitment. He described the single second-degree child abuse conviction as a victory.
“They sat through weeks of highly charged, emotional allegations and did exactly what the law required: they looked for independent, verified proof,” he told the Lansing State Journal. “By returning ‘not guilty’ verdicts on nearly every single count in this indictment, the jury completely rejected the state’s overreached narrative and the deeply flawed, unverified investigation that built it.”
The Flores were first charged with multiple counts of child abuse in 2021. Prosecutors dismissed the case in 2023, saying more investigation was necessary. The Detroit News reported that inaccuracies and false statements appeared in CPS and police reports, prompting the case to be transferred to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. Nessel’s office filed new charges against the couple in December 2025.
“This has been a long and in-depth investigation and without the help of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office we would not have been able to bring this case to a successful completion,” Clinton County Sheriff Sean Dush said in a statement.
The Flores are scheduled to appear for sentencing on Jan. 11.
