Nationally awarded foster dad is charged with 20 counts of sexually abusing children in 'model' fath
An award-winning Wyoming foster dad hailed as a 'model father' has been accused of sexually abusing children in his care and kicking one off the roof for misbehaving.
Steven Marler, 48, is charged with 20 counts of child sex abuse against four children between 2014 and 2021 as well as battery and child endangerment charges.
Marler and his wife Kristen have been fostering since 2008, adopting six children and hosting dozens more in their Casper home over the years. In 2014, the couple were invited to the White House and honored with an Adoption Excellence Award.
Marler was arrested last week and charged with 26 charges in total. The sexual abuse claims include groping, sexual intrusion and committing sexual acts against one child inside a treehouse.
Prosecutors say Marler gave a child a nose bleed by punching them in the face and 'kicked' another off the roof, according to court documents obtained by Cowboy State Daily.
Award-winning Wyoming foster dad Steven Marler is charged with 26 counts of child abuse including battery, child endangerment and sexual abuse. Pictured: Marler with wife Kristen
The couple have been fostering children since 2008 and adopted six children. They were recognized with a national Adoption Excellence Award in 2014
One of the alleged victims described the Marler home in Casper, Wyoming (pictured) as a 'house of horrors'
Meanwhile it emerged that his wife previously pleaded no contest to child endangerment in 2022, after a child in her care was found to be severely underweight and with feet like 'cantaloupe' from allegedly being forced to stand for hours on end as a form of corporal punishment.
Kambria Marler, now 20, was found in the 'skeletal' condition at age 17 after she escaped what she refers to as the 'house of horrors'. Her 'excruciating' swollen feet and emaciated state were picked up by a medical examination and reported to Child Services.
She claims her adoptive father began to molest her when she was nine-years-old and alleges both parents would withhold food and become physical as a means of punishment.
Kambria alleges that the Marlers would beat their children with pipes, boards and an 'obedience paddle'.
'I'm pretty sure all of us have had concussions,' she told K2 Radio, also claiming that she was given just a potato for breakfast and resorting to scavenging dog food and raw meat to get by.
Kambria claimed the alleged abuse ramped up after she told her family she wanted to move out.
'After she told her parents she no longer wanted to live with them, she no longer received fruit, vegetables or dairy products, and she was not allowed to eat the meal that was prepared for the rest of the family,' an affidavit states.
Her account casts doubt over the picture-perfect image of the Marlers which earned them national acclaim.
Kristen Marler previously pleaded no contest to child endangerment charges after one of her wards was found emaciated and with 'cantaloupe' feet from allegedly being forced to stand for hours on end as form of punishment
Steven Marler is accused of sexually abusing four children, including carrying out sexual acts against one child in a treehouse
The Administration for Children for Children and Families praised the couple for extending, 'Honesty, integrity, and compassion' to their wards.
'The Marlers motivation for becoming foster parents was to support biological parents who are unable to care for their children.
The community in which Mr. and Mrs. Marler live has come to respect and admire them as leaders in the area of foster care. The Marlers often serve as community spokespersons, sharing their stories and inspiring their community.'
In 2014 Wyoming's then-Governor Matt Mead paid tribute to the couple in his annual address, hailing them as 'amazing' and highlighting their award.
A preliminary hearing on the charges against Marler is set for January 19 in the Natrona County Circuit Court.
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