Three people in Missouri are accused of abusing children in their home that included depriving them of food for up to six days and forcing them to write Bible verses before being allowed to eat.

Ryan Nichols and Dianne Nichols, both 47, face a slew of child abuse or neglect charges while Maverick Nichols, 22, stands accused of sodomy and rape. The investigation began in June 2023 when a girl accused Maverick Nichols of forcing her to perform sexual acts over several years, a probable cause arrest affidavit said. She lived at the Nichols home, though her relationship with the defendants was redacted to protect her identity.

She described a "restrictive and abusive home environment" where she and other children were "confined to their rooms for extended periods each day under strict survei

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