Monstrous parents who tortured their adopted boys ‘worse than prisoners of war’ and kept them naked in a dungeon discover their fate

A monstrous couple who tortured their adopted children and locked them in a basement ‘dungeon’ have been given a significantly lighter sentence after accepting a plea deal.

Charles Edmonson, 64, and Matthew Edmonson, 50, pleaded guilty Dec. 27 to multiple charges in connection with the abuse of five young boys — four of whom had special needs.

Matthew Edmonson admitted five counts of child endangerment, while her husband Charles pleaded guilty to kidnapping, assault and three counts of child endangerment.

The pair received a reduced sentence from Judge Richard Ferenc in Clermont County, Ohio, for the abuse they committed against the boys, who are biological siblings.

The children – ages 13, 11 and a pair of eight-year-old triplets – had been adopted by the Edmonsons.

Initially, the couple faced possible sentences that could total more than 200 years in prison.

However, as part of the settlement, prosecutors agreed to drop 48 charges against Charles Edmonson and 44 charges against Matthew Edmonson, leading to a reduced sentence, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Charles was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Matthew received 13 years. The plea deal also eliminated the possibility of a life sentence for Charles.

Pictured: Matthew Edmonson, 50, who was jailed for 13 years for abusing her five young adopted sons

Clermont County Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve described the treatment of the five sons as “worse than prisoners of war,” citing disturbing video footage of the children locked in a basement room.

The children, malnourished and stripped of their basic human dignity, were filmed huddled on a cold basement floor, trying to stay warm.

Tekulve described the images as ‘downright heartbreaking’ and emphasized the seriousness of the couple’s actions.

He said: ‘These two are unfit to be parents, and I am grateful to those who have worked tirelessly to ensure that this will not be the case.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that my office has had to file charges against these types of people posing as ‘parents.’

“The monstrous acts to which they were exposed will no longer hinder their development.”

Clermont County Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve described the treatment of the five sons as “worse than prisoners of war,” citing disturbing video footage of the children locked in a basement room (photo: Edmonsons’ home)

In addition to their own conviction, the Edmonsons’ biological son, Bailey (pictured), was also sentenced to two years’ probation

“Although they will likely require mental health care for the rest of their lives, they are thriving both physically and emotionally.”

In addition to their own conviction, the Edmonsons’ biological son, Bailey, was also convicted.

He pleaded guilty to three child endangerment crimes and was placed on probation for two years.

The Edmonsons were first charged with child abuse in June 2024, following a separate case involving Charles, which led to his three-year prison sentence for sexually abusing another of his adopted sons.

It comes as two Georgian men convicted of the sickening sexual abuse of their two adopted sons are headed to prison for the rest of their lives.

A judge has decided that married gay couple William and Zachary Zulock — once lovers of Georgia’s LGBTQ scene — will each serve 100 years in prison for sodomizing their young sons, recording the sex acts and providing videos of the abuse to other pedophiles, 11Alive reports. .