FT. WHITE, Fla. (WFLA) — Four people have been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after police discovered a ‘house of abuse’ in Ft. White.

The Florida Department of Children and Families first became involved with the Griffeth family after one of their children brought a working Taser to a church camp, and a mandatory reporter at their local church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, brought up other concerns about child abuse.

The mandatory reporter told investigators that she had concerns that the family’s adopted and fostered children are treated differently from the family’s biological children. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said Brian and Jill Griffeth had five biological children and four adopted children in their care. All nine children have since been removed from their custody.

Court records show the mandatory reporter told investigators that the family primarily adopts or fosters African American children, and that they are treated more like workers than family members.

When DCF went to the home to speak with the children, they found that some of them were unable to provide their birthdays or full names, CCSO said. Investigators also noted that, at the time of their visit, the biological children were playing or watching TV while the adopted children were doing chores.

One of the children, a 14-year-old boy, disclosed to investigators that he was caged in his bunk bed as punishment, sometimes left trapped there all night, even if he had to use the bathroom. He also said his mother, Jill, would force him to lie down under a sheet of plywood while she pressed down on him, leaving splinters and scars on the boy’s chest.

Throughout the investigation and interviews with the children, CCSO said multiple forms of abuse came to light, including the children being sprayed in the face with vinegar, given non-prescribed medication, being beaten with a cane, locked in their bedrooms, being told to lie about what happens in the home, and not being provided adequate schooling to read or write. Court records show more than one of the children appeared to have limited literacy skills and hadn’t been to school in years.

The parents, Jill and Brian Griffeth, as well as two of their adult children, Liberty and Dallin, were arrested on July 22 and charged with aggravated child abuse. Jill Griffeth was charged with three counts, while the others were charged with one count.

All four were booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility on $500,000 bond.