New allegations against Hernando man accused of starving girl

New allegations against Hernando man accused of starving girl

Associated Press

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A man who is charged along with his wife of
starving a 10-year-old girl in their care has also been accused of
sexually abusing the child, allegations he called "ridiculous."

Arthur "Tommy" Allain and his wife, Lori, agreed they would move out
of the house they shared with their four biological sons, ages 11 to
15, after the new allegations were brought up at a court hearing
requested by the state Department of Children & Families.

The Allains had cared for the underweight girl and her brother for
about four years after a friend of the couple lost custody of them.
Hernando County sheriff's deputies removed the children from the
Allains home in May after the 14-year-old boy told authorities the
Allains refused to feed his sister, who weighed 29 pounds.

One of the two children later accused Arthur Allain and one of his
biological sons of sexually abusing the girl, said the couple's
attorney, Jim Dysart.

"The two children removed from the home have a history of false
allegations and we feel that's what's happened here," Dysart said.

The Allains surrendered June 17 to face aggravated child abuse
charges. The couple has said the girl is unusually small because she
suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome and has an eating disorder in
which she gorged herself to the point in choking.

After their arrest, they lost custody of their biological sons, who
were ordered to stay with their 21-year-old sister in Spring Hill. But
two judges let the Allains also stay in the house with their adult
daughter.

Last week, though, a DCF caseworker and two sheriff's deputies told
the Allains they had to leave the house due to the new allegations of
sexual abuse.

They can visit their boys as much as they like with their daughter's
supervision and DCF also will monitor the children, Dysart said.
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