Man accused of child abuse ‘had orphanage plans’

A MAN who lived next door to parents accused of abusing some of their adopted children by making them sleep in cages claims the father had planned to leave his job because he made enough money by adopting.

Tom Hall told a US court that Michael Gravelle told him years ago: “The children that he had paid pretty good, that he was probably going to quit his job and build an orphanage and get all the children he could.”

Mr Hall, testifying at the trial in Ohio of Michael and Sharen Gravelle, also told the jury that he saw the father hose down one of the children outside in 6-7 degree Celsius weather. Mr Hall said he believes it was because the child had a bathroom accident, but he could not recall which of the 11 children it was or when it occurred.