Foster Family Who Took in Several Turpin Children After 'House of Horrors' Plead Guilty to Abusing Them
What happened to the Turpin children at their foster family's house "was in many ways worse than what happened to them in their own home," attorney Elan Zektser previously told PEOPLE
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Marcelino Olguin and daughter Lennys Olguin in courtThree members of a California foster family pleaded guilty to abusing children in their care, including three of the Turpin siblings after their harrowing escape from their parents' “House of Horrors,” authorities said.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, Marcelino Olguin, 65, of Perris, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to four counts of lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 years old, with the defendant being at least 10 years older; three counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14; one count of false imprisonment; and one count of injuring a child, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE in an email.
His wife, Rosa Olguin, 60, and their daughter Lennys Olguin, 39, both of Perris, also entered into plea agreements with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to three counts of willful child cruelty and one count each of false imprisonment and intimidating a witness, the DA's Office said. Rosa also pleaded guilty to grand theft.
Related: House of Horrors: Video Shows Allegedly Captive Siblings Being Rescued After Parents' Arrests
“What happened to them at the Olguin house was in many ways worse than what happened to them in their own home,” Elan Zektser, the attorney for siblings Jordan, and James, told PEOPLE previously.
The Olguins "were allowed to tell them over and over again that they're nobodies, that they're disgusting — meanwhile touching them sexually, torturing them in a number of different ways, being physical with some of them,” Zektser told PEOPLE.
In 2018, the 13 Turpin siblings were rescued from their parents’ so-called “House of Horrors” in Perris, Calif., when Jordan, then 17, managed to escape and tell authorities about the years of captivity and abuse she and her siblings endured.
Soon after, the world learned the truth about their brutal existence: that for years, their parents, David and Louise Turpin, kept them hidden inside their house where they were beaten and starved.
The siblings, whose ages ranged from 2 to 29 at the time of the rescue, were at times chained to their beds and held in cages.
In 2019, David and Louise were convicted on 14 felony counts including cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture and false imprisonment and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Related: California House of Horrors Parents Plead Guilty to Imprisoning and Torturing Their Kids
After the children’s rescue, the six youngest siblings were sent to live with the Olguins.
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Arrested in 2021, the Olguins pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Related: How House of Horrors Siblings Are Enjoying Life After Alleged Captivity and 'Just Want to Move On'
Their sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18.
Marcelino is expected to be sentenced to seven years in state prison, the DA's Office said.
Related: House of Horrors Siblings Saw 'Star Wars', Use iPads and Enjoy Country Music While in Treatment
Explaining why Marcelino admitted to the charges, his attorney, Paul Grech, told The Press-Enterprise, “He just wanted to bring closure to his family, and this was the best way to do that.”
Rosa and Lennys will each be sentenced to four years of probation and a four-year suspended sentence.
Lennys Olguin will also be sentenced to 150 days in the sheriff’s work-release program; Rosa Olguin will be sentenced to 120 days in the work-release program.
Their attorneys and ChildNet did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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