A mother and her longtime live-in boyfriend were arrested and charged with abuse of two of the mother's children, the Greenville Police Department said.

Robert Earl Kailiala Saladaga, 37, and Sabrina Irene Emerick, 25, were each charged with unlawful neglect of a child and two counts of cruelty to children.

Saladaga is also charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, according to warrants.

The abuse of the boys, ages 5 and 7, occurred on multiple occasions dating back to at least September 2017, police said.

The investigation into the abuse began in March 2018 as a result of information from the Department of Social Services, Greenville Police Lt. Jason Rampey said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Investigators documented numerous instances of abuse including multiple occasions where Saladaga would hold a pillow over a 5-year-old's face causing the child to be unable to breathe, according to a press release.

Warrants say Saladega rubbed hot sauce on the child's face, eyes and mouth making him vomit and forced him to take hot or cold showers as punishment when he got into trouble.

Saladaga is also accused of shooting a 7-year-old victim in the foot with a bb gun and rubbing hot peppers on his eyes and mouth causing him to vomit. The 7-year-old also said Saladaga would hit and kick him as punishment.

Another warrant said Saladaga rubbed a pepper on a child's genitals causing it to burn.

Warrants against Emerick accuse the mother of holding a pillow over a child's face causing him to be unable to breathe on multiple occasions.

"Investigators have learned that each of these abuses were forms of discipline for misbehaving at school or wetting the couch while sleeping," Rampey said. "From what we know, the mother did not participate in the abuse, but she was aware of it and allowed the children to be placed at unreasonable risk."

Greenville police worked with Greenville County Schools personnel, the South Carolina Department of Social Services, the Julie Valentine Center and the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office in this investigation.

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The children participated in a forensic interview with personnel from the Julie Valentine Center earlier this month.

"During these interviews, investigators learned of other abuses that had taken place," Rampey said.

The investigation took time because of the seriousness of the allegations and the ages of the children, but the boys' conversation with Julie Valentine Center personnel was "critical," Rampey said.

Following their arrests, Saladaga was given a $25,000 bond and Emerick was given a $10,000 bond. Both were released from jail on Feb. 15.

The children have been removed from the home and are living with a family member, and Saladaga is required to wear electronic monitoring and have no contact with the children, Rampey said.

Saladaga and Emerick have been arraigned, and the case has been sent to the 13th Circuit Solicitor for prosecution, Rampey said.