Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

9 boys by Nathan and Tammy Jessop

Nine boys, ages 12 to 17, were beaten, starved, and imprisoned by Nathan Jessop. All were current or former members of the FLDS who had been sent by their parents to live with Jessop due to their supposed disobedience; several of the boys did not know what they had done to be sent there and […]

3 children of Pamela Christensen

Three girls, ages 19, 16, and 12, were physically assaulted by their mother, Pamela Christensen, in an attempt to murder them. Their father, former pastor Vaughn Christensen, was abusive and controlling of his wife and children, and Pamela was seeking a divorce from him when he called her and ordered her to kill the children. […]

Raashanai Coley

Raashanai Coley, age 11 (left), was starved and beaten to death by her mother, Nicholette Lawrence (right). Her stepfather Robert Lawrence, who lived in the home, has not been charged. Raashanai was homeschooled and, according to some reports, autistic. She had two  two younger half-siblings who attended school. Around the time of Raashanai’s 2003 birth […]

Charlie Bothuell V

Charlie Bothuell V, age 12, was physically and emotionally abused by his father, Charlie Bothuell IV, and his stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell. Dillard-Bothuell also imprisoned Charlie in the basement for eleven days without food. Dillard-Bothuell’s other two children, 4-year-old Charles Luc Bothuell and 10-month-old Lillian Monique Bothuell, were also neglected. Charlie was homeschooled. Charlie had lived […]

Justin Carlos, and 6 siblings

Justin Gerard Carlos, age 14, was starved and medically neglected by his parents, Mark S. Carlos and Julie L. Carlos. Justin died of pneumonia and sepsis complicated by malnutrition; when he died he was emaciated, covered with bedsores, and showed signs of traumatic brain injury. Justin’s 16-year-old brother was also medically neglected during a similar […]

9 children of Peter Lucas Moses Jr.

Nine children ages 8 and under were abused by their father, Peter Lucas Moses Jr., and his three wives Vania Rae Sisk (second from left), Lavada Quinzetta Harris (far right), and Larhonda Renee Smith (second from right). Four of the children were Sisk’s and five were Harris’. The children were homeschooled and home-churched in the […]

16 children of Richard Jay Swank

Sixteen children were physically abused and deprived of food by their father, Richard Jay Swank. The fourth child, a boy born around 1985, was Swank’s scapegoat; he was tortured, imprisoned, and sexually abused for 18 years. The children’s mother, Monita Swank, was not charged with abuse. After school officials repeatedly called social services about the […]

15 children of Bill and Debbie Rettew

Fifteen children with disabilities were physically abused, medically neglected, and starved by their adoptive parents, Bill and Debbie Rettew. The Rettews had adopted at least nine other disabled children over the years in addition to their biological daughter Deborah Autumn Rettew (age 24) and Debbie’s biological son from an earlier marriage, Wilbur Beddingfield (age 32). […]

Child of Recardo and Therian Wimbush

Recardo and Therian Wimbush locked their oldest son in a lightless basement room for almost two years with only a bucket for a toilet. The boy was 13 when the ordeal ended. His siblings were not included in the allegations. All 10 children were homeschooled; however, the Wimbush’s oldest son had not received any instruction since he was […]

Children of Martin and Kathleen O’Brien

Six children, ages 9 to 17, were abused by their adoptive parents, Martin and Kathleen O’Brien. Some of the children were homeschooled. The O’Briens’ three biological children (an adult daughter, Diane, and two minor sons) were forced to participate in torturing their siblings. Four of the children were biological siblings from Russia and two of […]