A reserve police officer and his wife find themselves at the center of a deeply troubling case. They have been arrested and charged for allegedly imposing “cruel and unusual punishment” on their biological and foster children.

Branch County prosecutors, led by Zachary W. Stempien, have brought charges against Matthew and Cassandra Boatrite, aged 34 and 32 respectively. This followed a thorough investigation conducted by Michigan Child Protective Services in collaboration with the Michigan State Police, as reported by WTVB.

The charges against the Boatrites are severe. Both face six counts of second-degree child abuse, four counts of strangulation, six counts of fourth-degree child abuse, and two counts of domestic violence. Matthew Boatrite is additionally charged with an extra count of domestic violence, two counts of assault with a weapon, and one count of felony firearm possession.

In light of these charges, the Quincy Police Department immediately dismissed Matthew Boatrite from his position as a reserve officer. Meanwhile, Cassandra Boatrite was placed on leave from her role as a bus driver for Quincy Schools, as reported by the Sturgis Journal.

The investigation revealed that seven children were affected by this alleged abuse. Among them were two foster children, one child under the guardianship of Matthew Boatrite, and four children who are either biological or stepchildren of the couple.

All seven — between the ages of 7 and 15 — have been taken into state custody.

According to a probable cause statement, the children told investigators that they were forced to drink dish soap mixed with water, that they were hit with a leather belt and a board as punishment, and that they were frequently handcuffed behind their backs and forced to sit of long stretches of time.

Four the children said both parents choked them. Two of the foster children reported that Matthew Boatrite lifted one of them by his neck and pinned him to a batroom wall, pointing a gun at his head. He also pointed the gun at the other foster children and at younger children during the same incident.

Investigators found three unsecured and unregistered guns at the Boatrite residence, along with a board, belts, and handcuffs.

The couple was arraigned on Thursday and ordered held on $200,000 bonds. If they post bond, they are allowed no contact with the children involved in the abuse and not unsupervised contact with any minors.