Alaska woman arrested for abusing six adopted children

Alaska woman arrested for abusing six adopted children

2011-05-19 05:51:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (BNO NEWS) -- An Alaskan woman and mother of six adopted children was arrested on Wednesday for child kidnapping and assault charges, local authorities said.

Anya James, 50, of Anchorage, Alaska, between 2000 and 2010, fostered and adopted six children, who were subject to years of emotional and physical abuse, as they were confined to small rooms with doors and windows alarmed that sounded if the children tried to escape. However, the mother was able to collect over $750,000 in adoption subsidies from the State of Alaska during that time.

In addition, James had video and audio monitors so she could monitor the children's activities and conversations. The children were locked inside the rooms with no access to toilets, as they were forced to use a kitty litter bucket despite three working bathrooms in the home.

According to the police report, James also restricted their eating which led them to become severely malnourished, stunting their growth and preventing them from going through puberty during their teenage years.

The Anchorage Police Department conducted an eight-month long investigation after receiving claims of child abuse. Detective Chris Thomas was assigned the investigation in October 2010, which began with several of the children being removed from James's house. Many of them suffered from such malnourishment that they had to be hospitalized.

Police are unsure whether James adopted other children before the year 2000.

James was arrested on charges with 10 counts of kidnapping and 6 counts of assault in the first degree. She was booked into the Anchorage Jail with bail set at $100,000 cash plus third party custodian with conditions that James have no contact with any of her adopted children or minors under 16 years of age.

James is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in the Superior Court at the Nesbitt Courthouse.

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