Yukon Parents Accused of Child Abuse, Feeding Children Dog, Cat Food

News9.com

YUKON, Oklahoma – The Canadian County District Attorney has filed child abuse and child neglect charges against two Yukon adoptive parents.

Sonja and John Kluth are facing three counts each of child abuse and three counts each of child neglect for allegedly abusing their two adopted sons and one adopted daughter.

"They've been abused just about every way imaginable, they've been burned, cut, beat," said Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards.

Sonja Kluth is accused of strangling, beating, assaulting and burning her 15-year-old son. She is also accused of beating and strangling her 11-year-old adopted son and nine-year-old adopted daughter.

The nine-year-old girl told investigators her mom would bang their heads on the doors, walls and bathroom counter tops. One of the boys showed an investigator his disfigured fingers and said one was from being smashed with the can opener, the other a mallet.

John Kluth is accused of punching, choking and whipping the 15-year-old and spanking and striking the 11 year-old and nine-year-old. He is also accused of not adequately protecting the children from the abuse inflicted on them by his wife, Sonja, while they lived in a home in the 1100 block of N. Cimarron Road.

"The husband has shown signs of outward guilt and remorse," said the sheriff. "The adoptive mother insists that's the way you gain control and discipline children."

According to the affidavit, both parents locked the children in an underground storm shelter and failed to provide them with adequate food or proper sanitation. The children at times were also only fed dog or cat food. The affidavit also states the 15-year-old was confined to a small dog crate.

"The 15-year-old boy could easily pass as a 10-yearold, that's how thin and frail he was as a result of being malnourished," said Sheriff Edwards.

The sheriff said they discovered the abuse, which may have gone on up to five years, after the oldest boy was found sleeping in a box behind a Braum's.

The Kluths were reportedly being paid $1,500 per month per child by the state of Wisconsin.

"These people were basically out just for the money. They weren't out for taking care of these kids," said the Kluths' biological son Bill.

Bill Kluth said he's not shocked by the allegations. In fact, he said, he stopped talking to his parents six years ago after he saw how they were treating the kids.

"They were just put on a regimen where you can't talk to the kid, you can't love the kid, you can't say anything to the kid. The kids always had to sit in the corner, so we knew things weren't right," Bill Kluth said.

John and Sonja Kluth have both bonded out of jail.