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'On Tuesday, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, owners of Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch, a religious boarding school in rural Missouri have been taken into custody. Their arrests follow an investigation prompted by former students.

102 Counts of Abuse Filed

"So far we know of 16 victims," Attorney General Eric Schmitt reported. This was “one of the most widespread cases of sexual, physical and mental abuse patterns against young girls and women in Missouri history.”

“There are no words I can say today to describe the mix of great sadness, horror, disgust, and sympathy that I feel about these cruel and almost unbelievable reports of abuse and neglect,” Schmitt added.

The Attorney General’s office filed a total of 102 charges against the pair. Court records show Boyd Householder, 71, faces 79 felony counts and one misdemeanor. Stephanie Householder, 55, faces 23 felony charges including endangering the welfare of a child. 

Some of the victims gave statements about the physical and psychological abuse they suffered.  Boyd Householder stands accused of sexual abuse and neglect. He allegedly used physical restraints including, handcuffing or tying up victims’ hands and feet with zip ties and forcing victims to stand for hours facing a wall.

The charges also include “ 'slamming victims’ heads or bodies against walls, slapping or hitting victims with his hands or belt or other instruments, shoving a victim’s face into horse manure, pouring hot sauce down a victim’s throat, and other instances of physical abuse.”

NBC Dateline Features the Story in February

As reported on NBC Dateline in the February episode “Broken Circles,” the Householders opened Circle of Hope in 2006.  Since it opened there have been at least 19 complaints by parents, students, and staff. The reports were filed to three sheriff’s departments, the highway patrol, education officials, state child welfare, and the State Attorney General.

The complaints did not seem to have an effect. Public records show an assistant U.S. attorney declined to prosecute in 2018. Additionally, the state child welfare and education did not have the authority to shut down the school. They claimed inability to intercede due to a “loophole” in Missouri law.

The real investigation started when the Householders’ daughter, Amanda, and women who attended Circle of Hope, as teenagers, started to talk about the abuse on social media in the Spring of 2020. The TikTok videos led the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office to begin an investigation into the accusations.

Circle of Hope Closed in 2020

Last summer, Circle of Hope had an enrollment of twenty-four teenage girls. Subsequently, state officials removed them.

And in November, the State Attorney General Schmitt’s office joined the investigation, after the County prosecutor, Ty Gaither, asked for help.

 In August, the Householders closed the school and listed the property for sale.

Missouri state legislators are currently working on closing the “loophole” which allowed the school to remain open.

The Householders are currently in Vernon County Jail, Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary said. Stephanie Householder has previously denied the allegations to NBC News.

Amanda Householder posted a video on TikTok. She said she never thought her parents would be held accountable.