Eight people have been arrested and seven children removed from a single Richmond home as part of an ongoing child abuse investigation in Madison County, authorities said. The children, ranging in age from 1 to 17, were placed with social services after being found in the house, according to police.
The case became public Friday, when lex18.com reported that the arrests stemmed from a joint investigation involving the Richmond Police Department, Child Protective Services and the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services. The Richmond Police Department said the investigation resulted in criminal allegations against multiple family members living in the same house, according to WLWT. All eight people taken into custody were relatives who shared the residence, per wkyt.com.
Who Was Arrested and What They're Charged With
Christine Carter, 41, and Johnna Carter, 21, both of Richmond, were each charged with first-degree criminal abuse and neglect of a child under 13 along with first-degree criminal abuse, the outlet's report states. Richard Carter, 45, was charged with first-degree criminal abuse and neglect of a child under 13, first-degree criminal abuse, first-degree rape and human trafficking, per the same account.
Sarah Carter, 28, was charged with first-degree criminal abuse and neglect of a child under 13, first-degree criminal abuse, distribution of obscene matter and incest. Matthew Brumbaugh, 30, was charged with incest, while Mark Brumbaugh, also 30, faces charges of incest, first-degree criminal abuse and neglect of a child under 13, first-degree criminal abuse and third-degree sexual abuse, the report notes.
Additional Charges Could Still Be Filed
Green Schindler, 63, faces the broadest set of allegations among those arrested: first-degree criminal abuse and neglect of a child under 13, first-degree criminal abuse, incest, human trafficking, first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy. Ishmeal Thornsberry, 21, was charged with first-degree criminal abuse, according to the same lex18.com report. Police said additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues, and WLWT reported that the Richmond Police Department has not released further details about the case.
How Kentucky Law Treats These Charges
Under Kentucky law, first-degree criminal abuse or neglect is classified as a Class B felony when the alleged victim is under 13, and as a Class C felony otherwise, according to the Kentucky General Assembly. That statutory provision took effect July 15, 2026, after being amended by the 2026 Kentucky Acts, the legislature's statute page shows.
Police have asked anyone with information about the suspects to contact the Richmond Police Department, per WLWT's report. The investigation remains active, and authorities have not said where the seven children were ultimately placed beyond confirming they are now in the custody of social services.
