Ex-Alabama foster mother pleads guilty to 11 counts of child abuse
- Updated: Feb. 02, 2022, 7:27 p.m.|
- Published: Feb. 02, 2022, 6:46 p.m.
By Howard Koplowitz | hkoplowitz@al.com
A foster mother who abused her children while living in Alabama for six years pleaded guilty Wednesday to 11 counts of child abuse and is expected to be sentenced to a year in prison.
Jenise Spurgeon was facing 15 years in prison on each count but will only be locked up for a year under a plea deal, according to WAAY.
Spurgeon and her husband, Daniel Spurgeon, abused 11 children they either adopted or fostered in Florence between September 2008 until the family moved to Florida in July 2015.
Daniel Spurgeon pleaded guilty in 2019 to two counts of child rape, one count of sexual torture and 11 counts of aggravated child abuse stemming from the incidents.
The Spurgeons and the Alabama Department of Human Resources are also being sued civilly by the victims, who claim the agency was negligent by missing “numerous red flags” that physical and sexual abuse was occurring at the Florence home.
“Without the bravery and strength of these victims coming forward, we would have never known about the horrendous abuse they suffered,” said Birmingham attorney Tommy James, who is representing the victims in the civil suit. “They showed extraordinary courage speaking up against the Spurgeons, who should have been protected them instead of hurt them.”
Jenise Spurgeon “willingly participated in the abuse of these children and she deserves punishment. Now DHR needs to answer for failing these children. It is incomprehensible this abuse continued for years right under the noses of DHR workers,” James said. “My clients suffered unimaginable consequences because the people at DHR did not do their jobs. It is appalling they allowed this to happen.”
WINGS for Truth 