N.M. woman pleads guilty to chaining children to bed, starving, and abusing them

CURRY COUNTY, N.M. (TCD) -- A 30-year-old woman was sentenced to six years in prison after she entered a plea on charges related to the starvation and abuse of several children in her care.

Court records show Jaime Sena pleaded no contest to four counts of child abuse on July 7, exactly one year after several of the abuse allegations occurred. She was originally charged with 14 counts of child abuse, one count of conspiracy to commit child abuse, and obstructing an investigation of child abuse or neglect. Sena's girlfriend, Jayme Kushman, is charged with 16 counts of child abuse, one count of conspiracy to commit child abuse, and one count of obstructing an investigation of child abuse or neglect.

Records indicate Kushman intends to plead guilty to some of the charges.

KRQE-TV reports Sena will receive 10 1/2 months of time served.

Sena and Kushman were arrested in August 2022 following a visit from the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). According to New Mexico State Police, on July 22, 2022, officials went to Kushman and Sena's home on Curry County Road 8.5 in Texico and found six children in "unsanitary living conditions."

Some of the children told CYFD officials they suffered "abuse at the hands of both women, including being starved, beaten, and chained up for long periods of time."

Court documents cited by KOB-TV say the women reportedly beat the children with a paddle, starved them, and kept some of the victims in dog cages. A video taken from the home reportedly showed one boy "being smothered in his own vomit."

One photo reportedly depicted two kids "eating spaghetti from inside a filthy bathtub with their bare hands and naked."

The abuse reportedly occurred over nearly a decade.

MORE:

• State of New Mexico v. Jaime K Sena
• Woman sentenced for abusing six children in Texico home - KRQE
• State of New Mexico v. Jayme L Kushman
• New Mexico State Police Arrest Curry County Women for Multiple Counts of Child Abuse, 8/22/2022 -  New Mexico State Police
• Court documents reveal disturbing details in child abuse investigation, 9/7/2022 - KOB
• 2 New Mexico women arrested after allegedly beating and chaining children to bed, 8/23/2022 - TCD