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Mom Arrested for Emotional, Physical Abuse of Adopted ChildrenAnya James, 50, was arrested Tuesday and is charged with ten counts of kidnapping and six counts of first-degree assault.Related ContentAn Anchorage mom has been arrested for subjecting her six adopted children to years of emotional and physical abuse, according to Anchorage police. Following an eight-month investigation, 50-year-old Anya James now faces criminal offenses for the gross mistreatment of her children. James was arrested Tuesday and is charged with ten counts of kidnapping and six counts of first-degree assault. APD Detective Chris Thomas began the investigation in early October 2010 after receiving a claim of child abuse against four of James’ children living in her Hillside home. That same month, several of James’ children were removed from the home and hospitalized due to severe malnourishment. The investigation further revealed that due to malnourishment, James’ adopted children endured stunted growth, which prevented some of them from going through puberty during their teenage years. According to police, the children were confined to small rooms with alarms rigged up to the doors and windows to alert James if the children tried to escape. The mother also used audio and video monitors to oversee the children’s activity and conversations. Despite three functioning bathrooms inside the home, the children were forced to use a bucket filled with kitty litter instead of a toilet placed inside the small rooms. James is currently booked at the Anchorage Jail; her bail is set at $100,000 cash plus third-party custodian. She will not have contact with any of her adopted children or minors under 16 years old, according to police. She will be arraigned in Superior Court Wednesday afternoon at the Nesbitt Courthouse in downtown Anchorage. Between 2000 and 2010, James fostered and adopted six children and collected more than $750,000 in adoption subsidies from the State of Alaska. If you have information about children living under James’ care before 2000, contact Anchorage Police Detective Chris Thomas at 786-2628. |
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Ron Stevenson said on Friday, Feb 22 at 11:55 AM
If the APD had not been so concerned with destroying evidence of Toad Palins prostitution activities and issuing false press releases they could have investigated this woman much earlier. Loree Davis called/emailed police and OCS several times.
114273681anonymous for now said on Sunday, Jan 22 at 9:40 PM
(continued) the best of me. but i am the kind of person with a very forgiving heart, kind, and cooperative. I am living in hope that my children will come home someday. And what a joyous day that will be. I agree that something needs to be done. I can't do this alone. and I'm asking anyone for any advice or leads. I'm still learning my rights, the law, and what options i have out there. and support as well. We as a nation need to stick together and fight for what we believe in. and i can't fight this fight alone. I believe my children belong with me, and i will not give up till my last breath. Have a good day. And god Bless you all according to his will.
80258352anonymous for now said on Sunday, Jan 22 at 9:35 PM
(continued) I dealt with ocs 2 more times after that, one for other false allegations of me, by a former agency known as.....Intermission. and the second one....being talked into giving my kids willingly to ocs by the social worker himself. ocs failed to do a background check of everyone in the home, and in turn my son was molested in front of his sister. after that it's been a never ending battle with the state. ocs. well, folks, i have recently found out that Anya and the former director of ocs, also known as the bull dog of ocs, have been really good pals for many, many years. and went to law school together. lol. how do you think i'm feeling right about now, knowing this bit of information recently? my children never was beaten, starved, thrown across the room, emotionally, physically abused, or isolated in my home. they placed my beloved children with a monster. Without God I am nothing and can do nothing. If it was'nt for his grace and peace and love, this would have gotten the
80258267anonymous for now said on Sunday, Jan 22 at 9:26 PM
Hi. Let me start off first by introducing myself as anonymous. I want to say, "I have a story to tell".....The youngest children that were in this home.....they were mine. I am slowly coming into the light for very specific reasons, and hopefully to gain some insight, advice maybe, support and a lead.....I will be going public soon. To tell my story from beginning to end, and eventually, my children will be too. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Darkness cannot co-exist with light. I believe and aknowledge that my little family was a victim of ocs for their profitable gain of my kids. I also may be writing a book one day when this whole nightmare is over. Called...."A family Tragedy" There will be a couple more after that. Well my children were taken from me starting from false allegations made by someone who i trusted like my own sister, who was in fact sitting for me.
80258119AnonAdoptiveMom said on Wednesday, May 25 at 3:52 PM
I disagree with adoptive parents who think the state shouldn't be able to check on them after an adoption. Perhaps the law needs to be revisited as the number of abuses in adoptive homes comes to light. I am an adoptive parent and would have NO problem with post placements to see how the children are doing. It is not the same as giving birth. Birth children don't have previous and original families, nor in the case of foster-adoptions do they come into the world with state subsidies or adoption tax credits. The love we have for our children may be the same, but to say it is all the same is like saying an apple is an orange. OCS did not do their jobs. Interviewing kids in front of the parent? Give me a break. That is shotty casework. Heads need to roll on this one.
67736432Suzie said on Friday, May 20 at 7:55 AM
This is NOT an adoption issue. After adoption, the children would have been monitored the same way birth children are. Child abuse is child abuse. This is not an Alaska issue. This week there was a similar case in Washington state. Child abuse is terrable!
67407707Connie smith said on Thursday, May 19 at 8:41 PM
I have had first hand knowledge of the lack of care the OCS gives to protect, make safe, and keep our children from harm in the state of Alaska.I have been told on several occasions that if the child is not close to death and very visuable abused they will not act on the case. Sad state welive in when they care more for bears and moose than our children. cannnot a will not do anything to help children.
67380511nancy said on Thursday, May 19 at 6:19 PM
they really need to check (MORE DEEPER) with a scope to have so many children. i heard of these kinds before anything for a/their checks per child.
67373752Anon said on Thursday, May 19 at 11:26 AM
This woman fits the bill of many people who are serial adopters. They do it for sick reasons and destroy children. Homeschooling is a big part of this because they use it to keep the children isolated. I am not surprised to see the kids were taught to lie to authorities from the beginning. This is also a characteristic of abusers.
67350233Mara said on Thursday, May 19 at 6:13 AM
I am an adult adoptees, who as an infant, was allowed to be adopted by a man who was a pedophile, an alcoholic, and mentally unstable. He abused me regularly and threatened to kill me on a regular basis. I lived a life of terror until I escaped at 14. The states in this country do not care about children once they are adopted. As long as we are no longer being financially supported by the states, our welfare after adoption is irrelevant. Many of us suffer and many of us die, many of us become addicts, many of us commit suicide...but it's irrelevant. We were chattel as children and our rights as humans were irrelevant because we were relinquished for adoption. I would have preferred to live in an orphanage, at least I wouldn't have my abuser listed as my father on the only birth certificate I'm allowed to have...the amended one. My REAL birth certificate was sealed in the "land of the free".
67325301Anonymous said on Wednesday, May 18 at 8:04 PM
Maria Downey lives in this Hillside neighborhood....she knew what was going on!
67305511Mac said on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:54 PM
Well now she is going to prison to be supported by all of us. My contribution would be a bullet.
67305082netter said on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:46 PM
This person should not be allowed to have pets OR children!! All I can say is that "What goes around, comes around!" Poor soul!!
67304707alaska said on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:12 PM
i am one of her kids and believe she was a terror to live with
67303151olddg said on Wednesday, May 18 at 6:11 PM
This has to be the sickest story I have ever heard. This just doesn,t happen she had to think of how to torture these children. And why did she not feed these kids?
67300194MaVerick said on Wednesday, May 18 at 6:03 PM
Oh is this supposed to make us believe the state of AK really gives a crap about any of us??? THEY DONT! DONT be fooled...just because they finally, albeit too late..did something for once to actually help the victims. They usually spend their time shoving the victims under the carpet to cover their own rear ends due to mistakes they themselves caused in the first place. I am saying this from experience. It doesn't matter what you are a victim of...between the Troopers, courts, District Attorneys..etc. The victim is the last to be heard if they are ever heard at all. As far as I am concerned they are no better than this disgusting woman who victimized these children. We are all victims of the system the second you become involved in it!!!
67299867Bert Hoak said on Wednesday, May 18 at 5:36 PM
For five years I wasted my time trying to get employment with the State of Alaska and MOA During that time government employees have been found guilty of stealing $600k from OCS (minority employee); selling meth outside of juvenile detention center (minority hire); serial rape (minority hire); child pornography (3 0f 'em...minority hire); and others too numerous to mention. In regard to employment with the city and state: qualified people need not apply. Happy to move on.
67298652jeminak said on Wednesday, May 18 at 5:28 PM
Horrible.. They should sell her house to start paying back the monies to the children.. What a sick sick person.. She is evil and needs to pay for what she has done..
67298322Michelle said on Wednesday, May 18 at 4:54 PM
I am a loving mother of four beautiful children and find that the abuse that is put upon our kids by others that claim to care so much for the children, in this case in the state of Alaska, basically allows this to happen. Not only the fact that the children are already traumatized by the fact that they are placed in a total strangers home. Maybe there just needs to be an orphange like setting set again, where there are multiple caring adults to care for these unfortuane children so they are assured the exact treatment that they deserve. The state seems not to understand the punishment and treatment of our children. My children were recently placed in the custody of the state, and hell if I was going to allow my children to stay there. After hearing so many stories of abuse that has taken place in Alaska really sickens the hell out of me! The state of Alaska needs to maybe take a look at the ocs workers that take cases like this. This bitch excuse me, will endure worst I am sure!
67296977Anon said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:56 PM
I know someone who use to work at OCS who investigated this family...the children were taught to lie from the very beginning. According to my friend OCS investigators were not allowed inside the home and OCS is not allowed to force their way in the way the can in other states. It's about time someone caught her in the act.
67294349Bianca said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:54 PM
This is horrible! This happends alot here in Alaska. The state take this kids from their parents and they put them in the hands of someone alse who often abuse them like this! Every kid deserves a chance on life and this people are taking that chance and destroying that chance. I agree with all the comments, we need to do something about this situation. the Federal Systems needs to do visits more often to this houses and maybe talk to the kids so they can know that abuse is not ok is not normal it is not part of life.
67294234marie said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:49 PM
Police say she collected more than $750,000 in adoption subsidies from the state of Alaska from 2000 to 2010 after adopting six children. She also was a foster mother. James moved from the Eagle River area in 2001 to a home on the Anchorage Hillside that is currently assessed at more than $560,000. The children should be getting all that she ownes. Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/05/18/1869346/woman-charged-with-abusing-adopted.html#ixzz1MkbSYl8p
67294066Grdnbug said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:43 PM
This awful woman, makes it harder on all the decent people out their that could love children that need them. Its hard enough for kids to get placed and alot of good people can't adopt because of dumb mistakes made when they where younger. Maybe if subsidies where dropped or children where interviewed every few years before subsidy payments these kids could have been saved lots of pain.
67293781Phyllis Morrell said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:34 PM
@ Cheryl, you should hear Alice Brown's story. With the help of Crisis Pregnacy Center (cpc) the State took her daughter right after delivery although there was no drug abuse or a history of violence. ALice moved to Montana to have her son and the state of alaska ocs, followed her there and took her son a birth too. Alice's daughter was abused in two foster homes when Alice started to fight the state, they moved the child to Kodiak.
67293402Bob said on Wednesday, May 18 at 3:33 PM
How many times does this kind of thing have to happen before the entire system receives a major overhaul? One more time is too many.....
67293361nwpatty said on Wednesday, May 18 at 2:25 PM
This makes me ill in so many ways- What has this world come to. All chidren deserve the best no matter who is caring for them- they are our future- WE NEED TO FIX THIS ASAP. If that psycho was my neighbor she would not have gotten away with it- what a self-centered sicko.
67290118Rivka said on Wednesday, May 18 at 2:13 PM
I have three adopted children who are beautiful in every way and the light of my life! The supervision has to be in place way before any adoption is finalized because no one has the right to bother us afterward anymore than they can bother a birth mother unless there is suspicion of abuse. Make sure the parents are suitable way before hand.
67289417Robert said on Wednesday, May 18 at 2:11 PM
This is sad! My sister and her husband physically abuse their children, and after years of reporting it to the State Of AK CPS, still nothing! At least some children in this state will be better taken care of now that this woman is where she belongs! 1 down, how many more to go?
67289327Wrennie said on Wednesday, May 18 at 2:10 PM
Look up Alaska's HSS history online. With the ombudsman's office alone...they have major problems with making and following standards and with policing their own employees. They recruit just about anyone, and once someone works for the state it's almost impossible to get rid o
67289251Alice said on Wednesday, May 18 at 1:01 PM
And seize all of her banks accounts and retirements so she can pay towards the judgments these children are going to get when they sue the state of alaska and anyone else involved who can be sued. She should have to be responsible for all monies in any judgments, even if it is in the future.
67285436Cheryl said on Wednesday, May 18 at 12:54 PM
I my son was adopted out in 1976 77 because the State of Oregon took him away it was a wrongful adoption, not a day goes by that I am not keeping my sweet son in prayer for his safety, And yes there should be tighter monitoring of those who adopt,This should be a very big issue here as well with other States...
67284949Barbara said on Wednesday, May 18 at 12:18 PM
OMG how can this woman get away with this for so many years? We need to revamp our undesirable adoption system. Every child deserves to be safe and cared for. I fault the State and Federal Systems for neglect in providiing adequate monitoring of adopted children. It should not be out of site out of mind.
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