Police: 5 children abused by 5 adults in Darby, Pa.

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Saturday, November 15, 2014
Several adults are behind bars this afternoon for the alleged sexual and physical abuse of children.

DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- Authorities say five children were subjected to horrible abuse - both physical and sexual - at the hands of five adults inside a home in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

William Wade, 23; Danielle Hammond, 22; Shakia Jackson, 31; Daryl Carter, 24 and Mark Isom, 22 are facing a number of charges, including endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, simple assault, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

"It's almost unbelievable, I mean you can't even imagine the horror that these children had to live under," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said.

Hammond was released from jail Friday night, but her father told Action News she wasn't home.

We asked him about the charges filed against her.

"But how can I know? I'm not a magician," Hammond's father said.

The victim's ages range from 1 year old to 10 years old. Jackson is the mother of four of the children, while the 1-year-old is Hammond's child.

The alleged crimes happened at a home on 7th Street near Cedar Avenue in Darby.

According to the affidavit, the children were shot with BB guns 'including the head'.

One boy told detectives that it 'really hurt.'

They were also punched and slapped, thrown over a banister, and had sex acts performed in front of them.

The most disturbing allegation: two of the suspects, Wade and Carter, are accused of holding Hammond down and forcing a 2-year-old child's penis into her mouth.

The Delaware County District Attorney's Criminal Investigation Division began their investigation in June.

"If I told somebody this, they probably wouldn't believe this could happen anywhere in this country," Whelan said.

Jackson and Carter are listed as residents of the home. The other three suspects provided police with Philadelphia addresses.

According to court documents, Jackson admitted shooting her children with BB guns. She allegedly said, "She and the other adults were only playing and the children wanted to be shot."

The district attorney says all the children are now in the care of an aunt. Physically they're doing well. But emotionally, they still have some recovery ahead.