An East Berlin area couple is facing felony charges after state police allege they abused foster children over the course of several years, according to a press release and court documents.

Kelly Selby, 50, and Steven Selby, 64, both of Latimore Township, have been charged by state police with felony endangering the welfare of children, misdemeanor assault and summary harassment.

The charges stem from an incident in which police were called to the couple’s home on the 2300 block of Lake Meade Road in Latimore Township, just outside of East Berlin, on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 16, for a report of child abuse.

The Selbys were foster parents, with at least four adopted foster children present on Feb. 16, along with having multiple previous foster children prior to their current ones, according to court documents.

The pair is currently confined in Adams County Prison as a result of each being unable to post $10,000 bail.

Anyone with additional information on the couple should contact state police at 717-334-8111.

Court documents reveal abuse, humiliation

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Pennsylvania State Police on Feb. 16, children in the household described to police “repeated and ongoing abuse” inflicted by the Selbys.

During interviews with the couple’s foster children, multiple incidents of physical, mental and emotional abuse were documented over the course of several years, the documents say.

The brunt of the incidents that led to the charges involved a 13-year-old boy, who other children said received the brunt of punishment by the Selbys.

Incidents described included the 13-year-old putting his hands on the wall while being struck by a wooden spoon until Kelly’s wrist was tired, and being punched and kicked in the stomach by Kelly. Children described incidents of the 13-year-old being held up in the air by his hair, and having his hair pulled as a punishment.

Many punishments included the couple withholding food from the children, according to the documents. At many times, the children told police, Kelly would not allow the children to eat for days because they were “gaining too much weight.”

If the 13-year-old “stared at Steve for too long,” he would have his dinner taken away and be kicked in the stomach by Steve, the documents say. If he ate with his mouth open, his dinner was taken away, children told police.

In one incident, the couple caught the 13-year-old boy shaving his legs, the documents say.

After the discovery of the boy shaving his legs by the foster parents, the 13-year-old was forced to wear a dress, which had belonged to a previous foster child, to be made fun of by the parents as he stood in a corner of the kitchen in front of the family and other children.

Recently, prior to the Feb. 16 call to state police, the 13-year-old boy had his bed taken away from him for over two weeks, being forced to sleep on the floor using a bookbag as a pillow, documents say.

Children told officers that this was not the first time that punishment had occurred, the documents say.

The children expressed that their ongoing fear of the couple, as well as a strong fear of retaliation, had made them afraid to contact the authorities for help, according to the documents.

The children “did not think anyone would believe them,” they told police.

Upon interviewing the Selbys, the couple admitted to police to physically punishing the 13-year-old boy, but stated they were “raised in a different time period” and believed their punishments were justified, according to documents.

In the documents, officers express their concern for the ongoing safety and wellbeing of the foster children, including possible retaliation by the Selbys.