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(RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA) – Foster parents who took in several Turpin children after they were rescued from an abusive home in 2018 were sentenced Friday on child abuse charges.
Marcelino Olguin was sentenced to seven years in state prison and taken away in handcuffs after the verdict was read in a courthouse in Riverside County, California.
His wife, Rosa Olguin, and their daughter, Lennys Olguin, were each sentenced to four years’ probation. They cried during the verdict.
The judge ordered the defendants to have no contact with the nine victims, including several of the Turpin siblings.
None of the victims or their lawyers appeared in court for the verdict.
A statement from one of the victims, identified by the initials JT, was read aloud in court during the sentencing hearing.
“All I wanted was to finally have a loving family and get over the trauma, but unfortunately I didn’t get that,” the statement reads in part.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, whose office prosecuted the case, said the verdict “marks a significant step toward justice for victims of unimaginable abuse.”
“After experiencing intense trauma, these children were left in a situation of vulnerability and then further abused by the person entrusted with their care,” he said in a statement. “We are committed to holding accountable those who prey on innocent children. Our office remains committed to bringing justice to all victims of violence and ensuring that those who violate the trust placed in them are held accountable.”
Last month, three foster parents pleaded guilty to child endangerment and false imprisonment charges. Marcelino Olguin was the only one charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 14 years of age.
Three foster parents were arrested in 2021 and initially pleaded not guilty.
The six youngest Turpin children were placed in the Olguin family’s care at various times beginning in 2018, an attorney for one of the Olguins previously told ABC News. According to the lawyer, four of them were still living there at the time of their arrests.
In 2022, the six Turpin siblings filed a lawsuit against Riverside County and ChildNet, the private foster care agency tasked with protecting them, alleging that they suffered “severe abuse and neglect” over the years while in foster care.
Elan Zektser and Roger Booth, legal representatives of the Turpin family victims, said they plan to hold a news conference on Monday to discuss the verdict and the progress of the civil case.
“This press event comes at a pivotal time as the public has been awaiting further details regarding both the criminal outcomes and civil proceedings related to the county’s oversight of the foster care system,” the attorneys’ press release stated.
A Riverside County spokesman told ABC News after the civil complaint was filed that it does not comment on pending legal issues or specific cases involving minors due to confidentiality laws.
A ChildNet spokesperson also told ABC News at the time that the organization was unable to disclose the facts or discuss the allegations in the complaint.
A 2022 report released by outside investigators hired by Riverside County found that the 13 Turpin siblings “failed” the social services system that was supposed to care for them and help them transition into society.
“Some of the younger Turpin children were placed in the care of guardians who were later charged with child abuse,” the 630-page report stated. “Some older siblings experienced periods of housing instability and food insecurity as they became independent.”
In response to the report after it was released, Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel said in a statement: “This is the time for action, and I will support every effort to meet this challenge.”
Turpin’s case gained national attention after children were rescued from captivity at their parents’ home in Perris, California, in January 2018.
The 13 Turpin siblings were rescued after Jordan Turpin, then 17, made a daring escape in the middle of the night and called 911. Authorities then discovered that their parents had subjected the siblings, who were aged 2 to 29 at the time, to brutal violence and deprived them of food, sleep, hygiene, education and health care.
Their parents, David and Louise Turpin, pleaded guilty to 14 offenses in 2019 and were sentenced to 25 years in prison with the possibility of parole.
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