A Wyoming man is facing a series of charges related to allegations of child sexual abuse and physical assault of a minor. The man had previously been recognized as an exemplary foster parent and received a national award for his work in caring for children.
Steven Randall Marler, 48, was arrested last week and charged with 20 counts related to the sexual abuse of four children, five counts of assault on four minors, and one count of child endangerment. Ta. The child sexual abuse allegations are said to have occurred between 2011 and 2021.
“Allegations of sexual abuse include molestation, sexual penetration, and sexual acts against one child in a treehouse,” the newspaper said. daily mail.
Mahler and his wife Kristen have been raising their children since 2008. They have adopted six of his children and are hosting dozens more at their home in Casper, Wyoming.
In 2013, Stephen Mahler and Kristen Mahler recognized They were selected by the federal Administration for Children and Families as one of the top three families in the nation and received the Adoption Excellence Award. The couple was invited to the White House for a nursing home.
The Department of Children and Families said the couple possessed important qualities of “honesty, integrity and compassion.”
The federal agency said the couple “has an extraordinary ability and willingness to respect the relationship between children and their parents.”
“In addition to creating permanence for children, they provide support, resources, and mentor other foster parents,” the award list states.
However, after initially being charged with child abuse, Kristen Marler pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child endangerment in 2022, according to court documents.
Investigators reportedly noticed that the feet of one of the children in the Marlers' custody resembled “small cantaloupes.”
The girl's feet were swollen, her nail beds were dry and peeling, and she had “excruciating pain in her feet,” the affidavit said.
The girl told investigators that as punishment, she was made to stand at her home from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. or forced to run on the spot.
of cowboy state daily “The only time the children were able to drink water was reportedly a brief stop at the bathroom sink faucet. If the girl completed her 'discipline', she would receive half a potato for breakfast. and potatoes with meat for lunch, the document states.
“After she told her parents she no longer wanted to live with them, she stopped receiving fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and was not allowed to eat meals prepared for the entire family,” the affidavit states. It is written as “.
The girl said the pantry and refrigerator were locked to prevent children from entering.
Cambria Marler, a former foster child at the facility, said her time there was a “house of horrors.”
Cambria allegedly ran away from home when she was 17, and Marler said he physically abused the children for the slightest infraction.
“I'm sure we've all had concussions,” Cambria, 20, said. K2 radio.
Cambria said if the adult pair didn't give the children food as punishment, she would get hungry and eat the dog food.
Cambria said he was sent to the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy when he was 17 years old. At the time, Cambria's girlfriend weighed only 69 pounds due to malnutrition.
K2 Radio reports, “One day, Cambria got angry and carved an 'X' across Kristen's face into the dusty glass of the family portrait. Her adoptive mother became furious and started hitting her. “Cambria is said to have since fathered other foster children.'' Get your Sharpie and cross out Cambria's face from all of her family photos. ”
Charging documents allege that Stephen Marler punched the child in the nose so hard that the child bled.
Marler is accused of child endangerment by “kicking the victim off a roof and denying (the child) medical treatment.”
According to reports, Marler faces up to life in prison for the first-degree sexual abuse charge, up to 20 years for the second-degree sexual abuse charge, and up to 15 years for the third-degree sexual abuse charge.
Marler was released on $225,000 bail, according to court records.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
