Prosecutors say a Butte home where children were allegedly abused by their parents and a family friend was “excessively filthy” with cockroaches and what appeared to be bedbugs.
The mother and father — Sean Lee Northey and Toni Lynn Northey — pleaded not guilty Wednesday to numerous felony counts of assault on a minor, plus 11 misdemeanor counts each of endangering the welfare of children.
Family friend Shelly Ann Miller, who the children sometimes referred to as godmother, is charged with eight felony counts of assault on a minor and has pleaded not guilty to them all.
Sean Lee Northey appears before District Judge Robert Whelan on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse.
Charges were recently filed against the parents but prosecutors included more details in newly filed documents, including descriptions of clutter, foul odors, and bugs in the home and four children testing positive for marijuana.
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Toni Lynn Northey addresses District Judge Robert Whelan on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse.
Police found three of the children walking together in an alley on Nov. 30, not dressed appropriately for the freezing temperatures, and the children ultimately admitted running away because of the alleged abuse at home.