A couple from Wisconsin has been apprehended following accusations of subjecting their six children to prolonged starvation and abuse, forcing them to consume mold, insects, and dog food, as reported by authorities.
Casey Cano, aged 38, and Mary Cano, aged 35, are facing multiple charges, including six counts each of repeated child abuse leading to significant harm and child neglect. Additionally, they are charged with exposing a child under 13 to explicit material, based on court documents.
According to prosecutors, between January 2018 and April 2022, the Canos allegedly inflicted physical harm on their children using belts, resulting in welts and bleeding at their residence in Crawford County, Wisconsin, as detailed by News 8 Now.
The news outlet indicated that the couple is also accused of deliberately depriving their children of food as a form of punishment.
According to the criminal complaints, the children recounted harrowing living conditions, where they were allegedly denied food for days at a time, driving them to consume mold, insects, dog food, and grass out of sheer desperation.
The children described abusive living conditions and were allegedly prevented from eating for several days, driving them to eat mold, bugs, dog food and grass due to extreme hunger, according to the criminal complaints.
One of the children said their sibling wore a diaper for three days without changing as “punishment,” News 8 Now reported.
The children were removed from the home around April 2022 in connection with a separate sexual abuse case involving another child, the complaints state.
Casey Cano is accused of starving and abusing his children for years, authorities said. (Crawford County Jail)
ABC affiliate WXOW reported that the children were between the ages of 1 and 9 during the alleged abuse.
The outlet added that the alleged beatings began when the children were as young as three months old.
The charges show that Mary Cano’s charges have a “party to a crime” modifier, indicating that she did not stop the alleged criminal activity.
Casey and Mary were previously convicted of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old in 2022, WXOW reported.
Mary Cano faces charges in an alleged yearslong child abuse case in Wisconsin, authorities said. (Crawford County Jail)
A new investigation into the couple began last December, and both individuals were arrested in March and have posted bond.
The couple’s next court appearance has not been scheduled.
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