An Indiana resident is facing serious allegations involving the mistreatment of multiple children, including accusations of physical assault, intimidation, and forcing them to endure prolonged standing until they experienced numbness in their legs.

Curtis Bordenkircher, aged 35, stands accused on four counts of neglecting dependents through cruel confinement or abandonment, alongside two counts of intimidation related to threats of committing a violent felony. According to Hancock County Superior Court records, these charges were officially filed this month, although the inquiry into his actions began back in October.

While the exact connection between Bordenkircher and the victims remains unclear, the authorities were alerted to the situation when one of the children reached out to their mother via text, pleading for assistance. On October 15, deputies from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office visited the residence in New Palestine, where they were met with a series of disturbing claims against Bordenkircher.

According to a criminal affidavit obtained by the Greenfield Daily Reporter, one of the girls reported being struck with a belt, forced to stand in a corner until her legs lost sensation, and subjected to demeaning insults such as “dumb” and “disappointment.” Another victim recounted being shoved against a wall, grabbed by the neck, and consistently threatened.

The accusations against Bordenkircher reportedly extend even further, painting a grim picture of his alleged actions.

Bordenkircher reportedly told the siblings at one point that if they didn’t “shut up,” he would “slaughter them in their sleep,” taking out a knife as he delivered the threat. The boy who told authorities this believed the man would follow through on his promise, the court document noted.

The children are said to have been made to stand in the corner of the home for up to six hours, and they would only sneak off to the bathroom if Bordenkircher left the house. “You all are in the corner until your legs are numb,” he allegedly told them, as well as “I have no sympathy for you. You stand all night.”

A fourth child told authorities that he had been “whipped” by Bordenkircher as he drank from a tall beer can. According to the kids, that behavior wasn’t uncommon for him.

“He drinks so much a day, and then he just gets mad at us,” one of the kids recounted, per Indianapolis-based Fox affiliate WXIN. “Beer, after beer, after beer.”

Bordenkircher posted a $600 cash bond on Nov. 6, and as part of the bond agreement, he signed a no-contact order concerning the four children. He is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial conference on Dec. 4.

New Palestine is a small town just east of Indianapolis.