The litanies of charges filed against John Baldwin are disturbing on their face; however, the details provided in the criminal complaint files against him are truly appalling.

The complaint filed in Magistrate Court by West Virginia State Police Cpl. L.J. McClung states that, after numerous reports of abuses endangering the children living with John Baldwin in the Nellis Community of Bricktown, a formal investigation was begun.

A call to Cpl. McClung stated that Baldwin’s two children were perpetually dirty and hungry. In addition, the called charged that there was no working electricity or running water in the home as well as the possibly a methamphetamine lab there.

Officers had been to the Baldwin residence before. The officers believed the information was likely accurate and as a result, Cpl. McClung contacted investigators from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources along with Brianne White.

Both officers, as well as White, arrived at the home and knocked at the door, however, no one answered.

Cpl. McClung’s statement further noted that Mr. Baldwin eventually came to the door and announced that both he and wife had been asleep attributing that as the reason for the late hour.

McClung and White went on to investigate the condition of the children while Sgt. Andy Perdue talked with McClung. Investigators found an undisclosed number of drugged children confined in an extremely tiny bedroom with a doorway blocked with a large wooden board.

The room contained no food, little water and no electricity.

The report states that the home smelled of urine and the children themselves used a dirty training potty to go to the bathroom.

State officials took custody of three children — two 5-year-olds and a 3-year-old.

This was not the first occasion in which the children were taken away by the state.

In November 2010, one of the children disclosed to her foster mother that that the father had burned their arms with a lit cigarette lighter. There were visible burns on her arms.

According to investigators, family members discovered one of the male children performing oral sex on one of the girls. The girl also disclosed that allegedly the man “put his pee pee in her private parts and it hurts and he would not stop”.

Baldwin has been charged with eight counts of sexual abuse by a parent, eight counts of sexual abuse by a parent, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury first degree sexually abuse, sexual assault and incest.

Police report in addition to the child abuse allegations, they have found evidence of two separate meth labs being operated by Baldwin at his Nellis residence.

At press time, Baldwin is being held in the Western Regional Jail in lieu of a $160,000 bond.