Florida couple charged with hundreds of sex crimes against their foster children

A couple from Florida have been charged with hundreds of counts of sex crimes and abuse against children who were in their care while they were living in Alabama some years ago. Daniel W. Spurgeon and Jenise R. Spurgeon are currently jailed in Florida on other charges but attempts are being made to extradite them to Alabama.

Police said that the charges were brought after substantial evidence was gathered and multiple interviews took place. The crimes relate to 11 children who were under the care of the Sturgeons in Alabama, either fostered or adopted.

Officers in Florence, Alabama started investigating the couple after Florida police contacted them last summer about crimes that occurred in that state. Daniel Spurgeon, 47, is charged with two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12, 115 counts of first degree sexual abuse, 122 counts of children abuse, 115 counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, four counts of first degree sodomy, four counts of sexual torture, three counts of domestic violence by strangulation and/or suffocation, six counts of first degree rape, six counts of incest and 11 counts of first degree human trafficking.

His wife, Jenise, 52, is charged with 100 counts of child abuse, 100 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, 100 counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, 11 counts of first degree human trafficking and one count of domestic violence by strangulation and/or suffocation.

The News-Press reported in July that the couple had been arrested in Cape Coral, Florida and charged with sexual abuse of 10 children either fostered or adopted by the couple.