Children were tortured for up to 10 years inside Victorville home, authorities say

Six children were allegedly beaten and strangled to the point of unconsciousness, among other forms of torture by their guardians and another adult at a Victorville home, with some of the abuse going back at least a decade, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities arrested Kenneth and Tina Key, both 60 years old, and their daughter Katlynn Key, 23, on Monday in connection with the alleged abuse. The children at the home ranged in age from 5 to 16, department officials said in a news release. Initially, authorities identified the children as being in the care of foster parents, but on Wednesday the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office clarified that they were legal guardians.

The children were exposed to both physical and mental abuse, according to county prosecutors. The adults stopped giving the children food and water for days at a time as punishment. The case may also involve instances where the adults forced some of the children to commit or assist in the crimes, according to the charging documents.

The alleged abuse started on Feb. 13, 2015, and ended Feb. 13, 2025, according to charging documents against the named defendants, who were each charged with six counts of torture and one count of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Department’s Crimes Against Children unit launched their investigation on Feb. 13, looking into reports of severe and prolonged abuse at a home in Victorville. The children were taken out of the home shortly after the investigation began, sheriff’s spokesperson Gloria Orejel said.

San Bernardino County Dist. Atty. Jason Anderson told the San Bernardino Sun that some of the children recorded the abuse in a journal with photographs. A 16-year-old went to a grocery store and contacted police, Anderson said, which prompted the children to be removed from the home.

According to prosecutors, the children were abused daily, including beatings and strangulations until they passed out.

All three suspects are being held in lieu of $1-million bail. They are due to appear in court on Thursday and were charged Wednesday by the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office.

There were no reports of abuse prior to the start of the investigation, Orejel said.

Anyone with information about the case can contact Det. Katie Merrill of the Specialized Investigations Division at (909) 890-4904. Anonymous tips can be made with the We-Tip Hotline at (800) 78-CRIME (27463) or at www.wetip.com.