Bucks County parents sentenced to state prison for 'nightmare' neglect of 7 children
WEST ROCK HILL, Pa, - A mother and father who a judge called "two of the worst parents I’ve ever seen in my life" could spend more than a decade behind bars for their deplorable actions.
Shane Robertson, 48, and Crystal Robertson, 38, were sentenced to 8–16 years in state prison for forcing their seven children to live in a filthy, rundown trailer in West Rockhill Township while letting their health deteriorate.
"It is appalling that you would live in these conditions with your seven children," Judge Charissa J. Liller said. "You treated your animals better than you treated your children. You kept them caged up like animals, but you weren’t treating them as good."
The couple had pleaded guilty to child endangerment and animal neglect after officers discovered "nightmarish conditions" at their home in August 2023.
Officials say they found seven barefoot and dirty children, ranging in age from 4-16, that needed immediate medical attention for being malnourished, testing positive for COVID, poor eyesight, maggots and poor dental hygiene.
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The trailer was also found in "disrepair and disarray," with decaying floors, animal feces, no cleaning or hygiene products and a locked refrigerator with little food inside.
The only "notable" food found in the trailer was for the couple's animals, which included two dogs, two turtles, two rabbits, snakes, toads, and a four-foot Tegu lizard and two dozen rats.
"The investigation also found that none of the children had any formal education, and all lacked basic knowledge," the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said. "Some of them didn’t even know when they were born. They all exhibited social anxiety and disclosed that they did not like being in public or around other people."
The children are currently in the custody of Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services and the animals were surrendered to the Bucks County SPCA.
The couple have been ordered to have no contact with their children until they turn 18 and only with the approval of a court-appointed therapist. They also can't possess any animals during their years of supervision.