Sellersville couple charged with neglecting 7 children also facing animal cruelty charges
Bucks County animal welfare officers have removed two dozen animals including a 4-foot exotic lizard with his own TikTok account from the Sellersville mobile home of a couple who police allege severely neglected their seven children.
The Bucks County SPCA on Tuesday removed 18 rats, two turtles, two rabbits, two dogs, one cat, and one Argentine Red Tegu named Boudin from the Rosann Lane trailer where Shane and Crystal Robertson and their children lived due to unsanitary conditions, spokeswoman Cindy Kelly said.
Crystal Robertson surrendered the rats, rabbits, turtles and cat to the animal welfare agency, Kelly said.
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Kelly said that animal cruelty charges are pending against the Robertsons, who also face seven counts of felony endangering the welfare of children. The children, ages 4 to 16, were removed by Bucks County Children and Youth on May 19, when the couple was charged.
The children's home situation was discovered in April only after a neighbor called police, not to report abuse suspicions, but because she saw the Robertson children taking items out of an abandoned trailer next door, according to court documents.
Authorities allege all but one child showed signs of serious malnutrition and other medical issues including rotting teeth, low kidney function, COVID-19, acute viral syndrome, poor eyesight, ringworm, matted and maggot- infested hair and speech impediments.
None of the children have attended formal school, according to court documents. Some did not know their birth dates and had to be told how old they were.
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Pennridge Regional Police allege the three-bedroom home, which the family moved into after the 2020 death of Crystal Robertson's father, was unsanitary and in severe disrepair. The couple told police they put a bicycle lock on the refrigerator to keep their children from stealing food, court documents said.
The only "notable" food found in the house was for the animals, according to court documents.
The animals are receiving medical exams and appropriate care, Kelly said Wednesday. She did not provide information about their conditions, but police previously told a humane officer the animals appeared to be in good condition.
Videos of the Tegu and one of the two dogs were featured on a TikTok channel that Crystal Robertson maintained for the lizard. The formerly public account, which had more than 1,100 followers and nearly 90 videos, was made private on Friday, after a story was published about it.
Among the clips are a January visit with residents of a Quakertown nursing home and a 2022 trip to the Spirit of Halloween store. There are videos of Boudin showing off his Halloween pajamas and bumble bee costume Crystal Robertson is seen cuddling with him, feeding him snacks of fresh salmon, chicken liver, and steak.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: SPCA removes animals from Bucks home where 7 kids allegedly neglected
