Michigan couple found guilty of abusing 16 foster and adopted children

A Michigan couple has been convicted of abusing the children in their care over a period of nearly two decades. The verdict came after a trial in Lansing where jurors reviewed evidence of mistreatment spanning from 2007 onward.

Tamal Flore, 59, was found guilty on six counts of first-degree child abuse. She also received guilty verdicts for two counts of second-degree abuse and three counts of third-degree abuse. Her husband, Jerry Flore, 61, was convicted on one count of second-degree child abuse. Jurors cleared him on nine other charges.

Prosecutors from the Office of the Michigan Attorney General argued the pair exploited the foster system for financial gain. They claimed the abuse was disguised as standard discipline. The state alleged the couple mistreated seven of the 16 children they took in during that time.

Testimony described physical punishments including whipping with belts and beating with metal and wooden spoons. Children reported being locked in rooms or the garage for days. They were also forced to sleep in a specific kitchen area designated as the square for weeks at a time.

The children said they had to complete strenuous punishment exercises. Food was withheld if daily housework was not finished. Jerry Flore's single conviction carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The sentencing hearing is set for January 11.