Children Allegedly Beaten, Kept In House Of Filth

Fruitland Park police said it's the worst case of child abuse they've ever seen. Charles and Tiffany Beattie were jailed, accused of beating their kids, keeping them in deplorable conditions and failing to properly feed them.

Inside the house, officers said, they found disgusting conditions, rotting food and clutter everywhere. But even worse, they said, the children were covered with bruises.

A relative, Tuesday, defended the parents, telling Eyewitness News the bruises are just accidents.

Police said the home, at 709 South Dixie Avenue, was clearly not fit for children. Investigators reported finding molding food in the sink, clutter and clothes all over the floor and terrible living conditions. Things were so bad, the Department of Children and Families called police and officers were shocked at what they found.

"It's probably one of the worst ones I've seen in my career here," said Chief JP Isom, Fruitland Park Police Department.

Email News Sign-Up Multiple Choices - Auto sign-up (LEFT ALIGN) GET WFTV NEWS HEADLINES BY EMAIL 9 a.m. Headlines Noon Headlines 4 p.m. Headlines News of the Strange Breaking News Alerts All four of the couple's kids had bruises all over their body, on their face, their arms, their legs and their buttocks. One child was hurt so severely, she had internal bleeding. And, officers said, the kids were so malnourished that one ate seven bowls of cereal when they fed him.

Charles and Tiffany Beattie are both accused of child abuse, but Tiffany's brother, William Taylor, said they're good parents and DCF was trying to get the kids to lie.

"She was feeding them stuff, saying, 'Oh yeah, daddy hit you? Oh yeah, daddy hit you with a belt.' Just kept feeding her stuff," Taylor said.

He also said the bruises were simply caused by accidents.

"Just like any kid, you go out and play and get a bruise," Taylor said.

But police said that there are distinct markings of a fist or hand all over the children's bodies.

"They all had bruising on their body that was not consistent with any falls or accidents," Isom said.

Two of the kids happened to be staying with grandparents. They showed signs of prior abuse.

"I wouldn't smack 'em like that," Charles Beattie told Eyewitness News on Tuesday night. "I don't believe my wife would ever do anything physical either that would get my kids taken away from us."

The couple remained in jail Wednesday.