Michigan couple found guilty of abusing foster children

A Michigan couple was found guilty of abusing their foster and adopted children, according to a press release from the state Attorney General's office.

Jurors 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. Her husband, 61-year-old Jerry Flore, was convicted of one count of second-degree child abuse. Jurors acquitted Jerry Flore on nine other charges.

The Office of the Michigan Attorney General prosecuted the case, alleging the couple routinely mistreated children in their home since 2007. The Flores took in 16 children over that period, and seven of those children provided accounts of the abuse, according to a report by The Detroit News.

The children described being whipped with a belt and beaten with metal and wooden spoons. They were also locked in rooms or the garage for days at a time.

The pair forced the children to sleep in a designated kitchen area called "the square" for weeks. They also required the children to perform strenuous punishment exercises and withheld food if daily housework was not completed.

The couple was accused of abusing the children under the guise of discipline for financial gain. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11.