NORTH NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — The head of a south-central Kansas home for the aging and his wife have been charged with abusing three children they adopted from Peru.

Jim and Paige Nachtigal, of North Newton, were charged Wednesday in Harvey County with three counts each of child abuse. They are jailed on $300,000 bond. Harvey County attorney David Yoder says he doesn’t know if the couple has an attorney in the criminal case.

Their 11-year-old son and 11- and 15-year-old daughters were placed in protective custody last week.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton says the two younger children were “severely malnourished,” and had broken bones.

North Newton police chief Randy Jordan says the children were punished whenever they had “sinned.” He said their parents considered not doing homework or complimenting their mother’s cooking sins.