A Roy couple that were licensed to provide foster care for children have been charged with severely abusing three boys they adopted. Matthew Earl Waldmiller, 40, and his wife, 41-year-old Diane Seifert Waldmiller, were each charged with three counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony. According to court records the couple allegedly went so far as to hogtie the children, putting duct tape over their mouths, and even locking them in their rooms for several hours at a time.
On March 17 the Division of Child and Family Services was tipped off to the abuse, after a complaint was filed detailing some of the things the children were enduring. According to charging documents the complaint alleged that the children were not allowed to drink water after 2 p.m., and were tied to their beds from 6 p.m. through the night. Upon investigating, DCFS workers found the light bulb fixture in the children's room was empty, the heater vents had been covered to prevent no ventilation made its way into the room, and the sole exterior window to the room had been screwed shut so it wouldn't open. The door also only locked from the outside. After law enforcement arrived the three boys were examined by medical personal, and were found to have a number of injuries. Among the things found were several bumps, bruises, "pressure sores," ligature marks, and even edema on one boy's leg.
During a police interview the couple admitted to doing several of the things they are charged with. The Waldmillers have been licensed foster care providers since August 2013. They had adopted in the boys in October 2015, and were fostering a 2-year-old girl when they were arrested. There is no evidence the girl was ever abused.