Abington couple used Army planks, waterboarding and hot sauce to punish kids: Police
An Abington couple who allegedly disciplined children by forcing them to perform Army planks and drink hot sauce are facing more than a dozen felony and misdemeanor charges.
The father of the victims contacted Abington Township police on April 30 alleging his children, ages 11 and 9, were abused during a weekend visit with their mother, Aubrey Ott, 37, and her husband, Gordon Ott, 41, according to a probable cause affidavit.
When a forensic interviewer spoke to the children later, they described the type of punishment they experienced at the Ott home, police said.
How police cracked serial arson case Serial arson suspect knew his victims in Montco fires, police say. Here's the connection
The older child alleged that she was forced to do Army planks, stand barefoot on piles of rock salt, and sit with her arms extended in front of her body while holding ice packs, while another ice pack was placed on the back of her neck, according to the affidavit.
The child said she was warned if she didn’t hold up the ice packs “there would be worse punishment.”
The younger child told the interviewer that she also was forced to do planks with her sibling as punishment and they were both also forced to drink hot sauce.
During one visit, the older child said Aubrey Ott waterboarded her after her stepfather accused the child of lying to him, the affidavit said.
The child described Aubrey Ott as putting her head face up in a bathroom sink and then covering her face with a rag and holding her nose shut, the affidavit said. Ott then allegedly poured water over the child’s face and into her mouth.
The girl told authorities she could not breathe.
The next day, Aubrey Ott allegedly told both children not to remember what happened the night before.
The younger child said that she overheard Gordon Ott tell his wife, “This is what we used to do in war,” before Aubrey Ott attempted to drown the older child, the affidavit said.
The 9-year-old said she didn’t see what happened when her sibling and mother were in the bathroom, but the sibling told her what happened, according to the affidavit.
The younger child said that her mother only does what their stepfather tells her to do, the affidavit said.
The Otts were both arraigned May 28 on identical charges including multiple counts of felony aggravated assault on a victim under 13, conspiracy endangering the welfare of children and related misdemeanor charges.
They were released on unsecured bail. Neither Ott had legal representation listed, according to the docket.
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Abington couple abused kids with hot sauce, waterboarding, planks: cops
