By Craig Anderson

DOVER — A Kent County couple has pleaded guilty to multiple felonies regarding the abuse of their children, the Delaware Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Houston residents Mary Vinson, 46, and Charles Vinson, 37, were convicted in Kent County Superior Court after being charged “with the serial abuse and torture of their children,” the announcement said.

According to the DOJ, over a period of 20 months the couple “is alleged to have abused their children, including making them stand for long periods of time; withholding food; force feeding them; and violently and repetitively physically assaulting the victims.

“Both children, who have since been transferred into the custody of the Division of Family services, were hospitalized several times due to the severity of the abuse, which was caught on video by cameras the parents placed in the children’s room.“

On Sept. 26, the DOJ said, Mary Vinson pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse (six counts), first-degree attempted child abuse (seven counts), first-degree kidnapping (two counts), second-degree attempted assault (three counts), strangulation (four counts), first-degree reckless endangering (three counts), endangering the welfare of a child (two counts), second-degree conspiracy (two counts) and false statement to police.

On the same day, Charles Vinson pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse (three counts), first-degree kidnapping (two counts), second-degree assault, act of intimidation (two counts), endangering the welfare of a child (two counts), second-degree conspiracy (two counts) and third-degree child abuse.

One of the children was 10 years old during the abuse; the other was abused from age 11 to age 13, the announcement said.

The husband and wife will be sentenced by a Superior Court judge in January. Mary Vinson faces a minimum sentence of 30 years, up to 444 years in prison. Charles Vinson faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to 158 years in prison.

In the announcement, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said “These are the cases that keep us up at night.

“The pain that these children endured — and that it was inflicted by people who should have been their protectors — is unthinkable. Thanks to the efforts of our prosecutors and of our partners in law enforcement, these abusers will be in prison for years to come.

“Their victims are safe now — but I also know that they have a long road of healing ahead of them. They are in all of our hearts today.”

The DOJ said Mary Vinson is being held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution and Charles Vinson is at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution. Both had their bail revoked due to the minimum mandatory time, the DOJ said.

Conditions included no contact with the victims, or anyone under 18, the DOJ said.