The 10 children found living in a Burke County shack without food or utilities have begun new lives.
Although the Burke County Juvenile Court records remained sealed, the fate of the minor children of Jeremy and Christine Long has been revealed in a single-sentence ruling by the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
On July 17, the court denied petitions filed by attorneys for Christine Long and a child advocate guardian to appeal the termination of the Longs' parental rights. The termination of parental rights means the children are now free for adoption.
Earlier this year, the Juvenile Court judge appointed to handle the Long case rejected an attempt by The Augusta Chronicle to cover the court proceedings, and closed the hearings to the public.
The Longs' minor children, who ranged in age from 1 to 17, were taken into protective custody July 31, 2008, when they were discovered by law enforcement deputies. According to police reports, there was no food or water in the home. None of the children had ever been to school or seen a dentist or doctor. The younger children had never worn shoes or ridden in a car. Several needed extensive medical care.
Jeremy and Christine Long were indicted on criminal charges of cruelty to children in the second degree and failure to provide an education.
Jeremy Long pleaded guilty in June 2009 and was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation.
Christine Long pleaded guilty July 31, 2009, and was sentenced to two years in jail and 16 years on probation. She is serving the jail time by spending every other weekend in the Burke County jail.
The Court of Appeals can be asked to reconsider its denial. If the court doesn't change its stand, Christine Long can ask the Georgia Supreme Court for permission to appeal, a request that is not often granted. The Longs' divorce case is pending in Burke County Superior Court. Christine Long filed for divorce in February 2009.
Well son of a gun...the court got it RIGHT !
Not only should these LOONS lose their rights to these children, they should both be held down by Bob Barker and fixed so they can't make any new children to torture and neglect. GREAT NEWS !
I have to agree with Austin Rhodes. But then again, there are a whole lot of people out there I would like to see being "spayed or neutered."
Amen, Austin. You and I have been one the same page about this case since day one! Thanks God for these kids and the foster parents that gave them lives...REAL lives with hygiene, health, safety and love, something they never even knew because of that thing that called herself their mother. I hope the adoptive parents don't allow any contact with her either!
I consistently see the same users battle it out and spew their opinions all over these boards over every issue you can possibly think of. Now, these two degenerates have been given nothing more than what I consider a judicial slap on the hand and none of you have anything to say? I am thrilled that these children will have an opportunity to begin a new life, but what about all the damages suffered before now? These people aren't even serving a portion of the years that they kept their own children imprisoned. Ridiculous.
I agree with ga-girl I think ten years in solitary for both of them, would have been a better sentence. I just don't understand how neighbors, census takers, salesmen, etc. could have missed this atrocity.
I agree with ga girl and crackerjack. How could they have kept this hidden for 17 years without anyone knowing about it. Just think the oldest child is 17 years old which mean 17 years of no medical treatment, no education, probably little to no food and the most they get is a 2 to 3 year sentence in prison!! That is outragous.
2 to 3 year sentences, and Christine Long is serving her sentence every other weekend in Burke County Jail?!! Why is that? Did she give her children 12 day vacations from the punishment she inflicted upon them?
And I agree Crackerjack, I think solitary would have been a very fitting sentence for them!
the oldest child has been in prison for 17 years and all these sorry excuse for parents only get 2 and 3 years????? Unbelievable!!
I wish I had the wisdom of King Solomon in this situation. Do you have any idea how hard it is going to be for those children if they are separated? I hope that some of them can stay together, and if they can't all be placed together, they each still find adoptive parents that have the skills necessary to care for each of them and love them. They have been through such trauma already, I hope they can find a good home or homes and that they won't be torn apart emotionally if they are separated. I don't understand why the parents turned out like they did, but I think people should focus on the children instead of worrying about how punitive the system is being to the parents. I wasn't there, I don't know the whole story, the courts may know something they are not sharing with us. I just want the children to have a chance of survival and a better life.
they family may have moved around a lot so people would not tyr to make friends with them,but yes I am thankful for the childrens sake.
Meth is destroying rural and middle america... Not a surprise the number of foster children skyrocketed in GA when the meth epidemic started....
The terrible sentences given in this case have already been discussed long ago.
countyman, in all the months I skimmed the articles about this couple and their family, I never saw meth mentioned, but I might have missed it. Can you find a reference to meth being a factor at all in any of the information that was provided to us by the media about this case and show how your comment about meth was relevant to this article?
God bless anyone that adopts those kids. They will have a big job ahead of them.
I wonder if these children can overcome .... but it is the only possible outcome that even gives them a chance...... the younger they are, the better-- I am unsure on if they were also suffering malnutrition.... when found? Because that has alot to do with brain development..... Where have they been since they were actually taken from these idiots...... Im assuming good foster care?
Yes, secretagentman, they have been in excellent foster care with the foster parents in disbelief at how the children's mental and physical conditions got to where they were. It's UNFATHOMABLE how anyone claiming to be a mother could have done what she did to these children. The reports were all over the True Citizen and it was disgusting to many of us that live here how she was "coddled" by law enforcement. They still treat her like she's a victim, she was NOT, she was the criminal, dad wasn't even around most of the time. It was in the papers shortly after that the oldest had turned 18 and STILL chose to remain with the foster parent rather than go with the mother...what does that tell you?
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
Back 
