A Wisconsin couple was arrested after allegedly starving their six children for years, forcing them to eat mold, bugs and dog food as they endured repeated abuse, authorities said.
Casey Cano, 38, and Mary Cano, 35, face six counts each of repeated physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm and child neglect, along with one count of causing a child under 13 to view or listen to a sex act, according to court records.
Prosecutors alleged that from January 2018 through April 2022, the couple repeatedly beat their children with belts, leaving welts and causing bleeding at their home in Crawford County, Wisconsin, News 8 Now reported.
The outlet reported that the parents also withheld food from their children as punishment.
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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.
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 has 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.
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.
