A white West Virginia couple has been charged with child neglect after allegedly forcing their adopted black children to work as “slaves” and locking them in a barn.
Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Kanawha County Court to multiple charges, including human trafficking of a minor, use of a minor in forced labor and child neglect which creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death, according to local media outlet Metro News.
They also face accusations of human rights violations, for specifically targeting black children and forcing them to work because of their race, Metro News said.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers said the children were “basically used as slaves,” citing what the prosecution alleges.
The couple was first arrested in October 2023 after a welfare check led to the discovery of two of the couple’s five adopted children (ages six, nine, 11, 14 and 16) living in inhumane conditions in a property in Sissonville.
In a previous statement made to the court, Whitefeather alleged that the barn where the 14- and 16-year-olds were found was a “teenage clubhouse” and denied they were locked up.
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A nine-year-old girl was found inside the main house before Lantz returned home with an 11-year-old boy and later, Whitefeather returned with a six-year-old boy.
Their bail has been set at $500,000 each, up from the previous amount of $200,000.
The couple’s trial date has been set for September 9.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
