Two charged with horrific child abuse in Pennsylvania

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (WNEP) -- Two people in Lycoming County are accused of horrific abuse of two children.

Donald Kiper, 54, and Nicole Engler-Harper, 41, both of Williamsport, were charged Thursday morning with endangering the welfare of children and unlawful restraint of a child.

According to court papers, Kiper and Engler-Harper abused two children -- Kiper's 5-year-old son and the couple's 3-year-old son -- at their home on Washington Boulevard.

In 2017, children and youth workers were called to investigate the family's home on Washington Boulevard in Williamsport after a codes enforcement officer found the home in deplorable living conditions during a routine rental inspection.

According to court papers, the 5-year-old was often locked in an empty bedroom with just a filthy mattress and a training potty. Investigators say the carpet was covered in urine; a case worker's feet were even sticking to it.

Investigators believe the child may have been locked in the room for days, potentially months.

The 3-year-old was found in a cluttered bedroom with a padlock on the door.

According to court papers, Engler-Harper would force the 5-year-old to clean up if he urinated on his bedroom floor.

On one occasion, the 5-year-old defecated on the floor, and investigators say Engler-Harper forced the child to eat his own feces.

Both children were taken out of the home shortly after they were found in 2017. County employees tell us they are doing well and are together.