Kent County parents will spend most, if not all, of the rest of their lives in prison after being sentenced to a total 75 years.
A Kent County couple who withheld food from their two children, then would force feed them and also violently and repetitively assaulted them should spend the rest of their lives in jail after receiving sentences of a combined 150 years.
Mary Vinson, 46, and Charles Vinson, 37, were convicted in September of dozens of felonies for abusing their children, including making them stand for long periods of time.
Both children were hospitalized several times due to the severity of the abuse, which was caught on video by cameras the parents placed in the children’s room, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.
One of the children was 10 years old during the abuse; the other was 11 to 13.
On Thursday, a Superior Court judge sentenced Mary Vinson to 106 years in prison and Charles Vinson to 49 years in prison.
That means they should both effectively spend the rest of their lives in jail, the DOJ said in a press release.
“These children went through hell,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Now they never have to worry about their abusers again.”
The Vinsons pleaded guilty to the following crimes:
Mary Vinson:
- Six counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree, a Class B Violent Felony
- Seven counts of Attempted Child Abuse 1stDegree, a Class B Violent Felony
- Two counts of Kidnapping 1st Degree, a Class B Violent Felony
- Three counts of Attempted Assault 2ndDegree, a Class D Violent Felony
- Four counts of Strangulation, a Class E Violent Felony
- Three counts of Reckless Endangering 1stDegree, a Class E Violent Felony
- Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class G Felony
- Two counts of Conspiracy 2nd Degree, a Class G Felony
- One count of False Statement to Police, a Class G Felony
Charles Vinson:
- Three counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree, a Class B Violent Felony
- Two counts of Kidnapping 1st Degree, a Class B Violent Felony
- One count of Assault 2nd Degree, a Class D Violent Felony
- Two counts of Act of Intimidation, a Class D Felony
- Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class G Felony
- Two counts of Conspiracy 2nd Degree, a Class G Felony
- One count of Child Abuse 3rd Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor
Betsy Price is a Wilmington freelance writer who has 40 years of experience, including 15 at The News Journal in Delaware.
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