NORTH NEWTON, Kansas – The head of a south-central Kansas home for the aging and his wife have been charged with abusing three children they adopted from Peru.

Jim and Paige Nachtigal, of North Newton, were charged Wednesday in Harvey County with three counts each of child abuse. They are jailed on $300,000 bond. Harvey County attorney David Yoder says he doesn’t know if the couple has an attorney in the criminal case.

Jim and Paige Nachtigal (Courtesy: Harvey County Sheriff)

Their 11-year-old son and 11- and 15-year-old daughters were placed in protective custody last week.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton says the two younger children were “severely malnourished,” and had broken bones.

Harvey County Attorney David Yoder said he now knows the extent of the problems the children faced.

“This is the first time I have seen a medical diagnosis from a physician of child torture,” said Yoder.

Investigators said in the three years since the children were adopted, they had only gained a few pounds.

“When they were adopted, they were almost the same weight as they are right now.”

Police say at least two of the children had been hit with a board and a cane and suffered broken bones.

Randy Jordan, the North Newton Police Chief, said the children had old injuries when they were taken into police protective custody.

“Through x-rays, found she had two recent fingers that were fractured,” Jordan said. “The little boy, his elbow had been dislocated at some point and it healed improperly.

“From the kids interview, dad did most of the hitting at the direct of mom. Mom seemed to call the shots when it come to the punishment,” said Randy Jordan, North Newton Police Chief.

Jordan says the children were punished whenever they had “sinned.” He said their parents considered the children had sinned when they did not do their homework homework or compliment their mother’s cooking.