The reason: The Harrises believed the girls were possessed by demons and could communicate telepathically, Goldsborough said. The separate source close to the Harrises reported seeing a video that Marsha Harris said showed a demon interacting with one of the girls. The story of an Arkansas politician who gave away his adopted child, and the tragedy that followed, So far, Trumps rollback of regulations cant be blamed for Ohio train wreck, The Buttigieg-Rubio grudge match over rail safety, Lawmakers cite fishy poll to suggest laptop tale would have swayed vote, A series of stories by the Arkansas Times, vociferous defender of his Christian faith, prominent figurein the states Republican Party. They are our daughters. He also offered another explanation in an interview with Arkansas Onlinesaying: 'When our adoption became final, we went to the court, the whole family, exchanged teddy bears and everything - and it was like a light bulb suddenly flipped on for the girls. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. ), DHS, Harris said, would not let him and Marsha adopt the girls privately that is, via the legal documents drafted by their attorney attempting to transfer custody from Young to their family. Young then became involved with a man who cooked and sold methamphetamine; a fire started by his meth lab provoked a police investigation that sent that man, too, to prison. After the traumatic start to their young lives, the story of these little girls is one of hope, survival and resilience. Meanwhile, a babysitter claimed Harris and his wife confined two of the adopted girls for hours at a time in their room because the couple believed they were possessed by demons. Months later, according to the Harrises, they were struggling to cope with the mental and behavioral challenges presented by the two girls, particularly the older one, who was 4 at the time. More shocking still: WhatHarris did, unofficially giving away an adopted child, is not illegal in Arkansas. Benji Hardy is a contributing editor to the Arkansas Times and a reporter for the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network. The story went public in March 2015. She was the toughest kid I ever had, but when she finally came through and I realized I could take her to our homeschool co-op, she was just like a normal kid. Justin Harris. They are fighters.". The second best result is Justin Harris age 20s in Dayton, OH in the Fairlane neighborhood. We were threatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys as well if we returned the girls to DHS custody. and Mrs. Harris placed the girls into the care of Eric Francis and his wife Stacy [sic] Francis in October 2013. See above to learn how much money does Justin Harris makes a year. We also are prohibited from clarifying any inaccurate information.. 'Rep. After one of the two younger girls crushed a family pet to death, Harris said, he and his wife were advised by a therapist, a psychiatrist and a pediatrician to remove the children from the Harris home. An extensiveReuters and NBC News reportin 2013laid out the series of events that often plays out online, where parents use message boards and Facebook groups to find new families for their unwanted adopted children: Faced with the allegations before they were published by the Arkansas Times, Harris first became defensive. She had been assigned their case while the girls were still living with the Harts. Justin is related to Janon L White . The legislator adopted three girls and turned them over to a man who abused one of them. 'This is a continuation of an alarming pattern that continues with several Arkansas legislators. It may be in the report you have, but just in case the minors identities are known, we dont want to be specific for their own protection.. She said that instead they used acontroversial book on therapeutic parenting to help deal with the adopted children. Rep. Eddie Armstrong released a statement on behalf of the House Democrats in the state, saying: 'First, our thoughts and prayers are with this little girl and other children that may have been exposed to injury as a consequence of this practice. So in early 2011. when a mother of three reached out to the devout couple about adopting her three young daughters who were about to be permanently taken away by DHS, the family decided they wanted to make these siblings members of their family. The Arkansas Timesrevealed the link between Harris and the rape victim in an expos this week, after learning that he had adopted the girls from prosecutor documents used in Francis' trial. Greg Leding has filed legislation which would make this practice of rehoming adopted children a felony, and we urge the legislature to pass this legislation in order to protect our most vulnerable citizens - our children in foster care.'. Justin and Marsha Harris bought into this concept, and adopted because they wanted a family of five. Unless he gave them guns, they werent dangerous., He felt especially offended at Harris statement in the press conference thatthey had to medicate the middle child to prevent her from hurting her sister. He said Mary displayed only affection and kindness toward her younger sister. Asked about the death of the guinea pig, Wells, the Harrises lawyer, said via email, A family pet, which was a guinea pig, was crushed to death by one of the children. They never once called us.. Well, Cecile said this, Cecile said that, Cheryl Hart said. But the source told the Times that Blucker was made aware that the girls had been rehomed days before the call was received by the hotline. At this point, we againreached out to DHS for help, and then we werethreatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys, Harris said. Justin Harris. Chilling 911 dispatch describes how 'overmedicated' midwife mom Lindsay Clancy cut her own wrists before jumping from top window of her home in suicide attempt after strangling her three children, Biden STILL refuses to accept responsibility for classified documents debacle: President says 'the answer is no' when asked if takes blame for sensitive files found at multiple properties, Inside Jim Carrey's secret 'sanctuary': Comedian lists LA estate of 30 YEARS (complete with infrared sauna and tennis court) for a whopping $28.9M after announcing plan to retire from acting at 61, World-first pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST, High blood pressure? He did not specify what kind of pet it was, nor whether the three-year-old or the six-year-old was responsible. Just rage, screamin' nonstop. The girls had regular counseling at Childrens House in Springdale, a center specializing in mental health treatment for young victims of abuse. People named Justin Harris. 100g carbs. The three sisters taken in by Justin and Marsha Harris had already lived with atoxic mixture of neglect and abuse. So, they decided to place the child for adoption. Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife held a press conference to address the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls. Harris denied those accusations. I turned them over to these people, Young said. We got the little one first; Im pretty sure it was the first weekend of March 2011, Cheryl Hart said. She just felt tired all the time, and she went in [to the doctor] and they found something and she said, I just dont know if I can handle all this. . This is hypocrisy at its highest level. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? She mistrusted DHS and disliked the foster system. "Exorcisms and telepathy are not part of the Harrises' religious practice. Scandal: After it was revealed the couple gave away the girls, their lawyer released a statement saying, 'Rep. March 12, 2015 8:00 am. See Photos. So, sure, higher-ups will get into discussions about what is best and what is not., However, a source familiar with the workings of state-level DHS informed the Times that Blucker supposedly remarked in 2012 that Harris threatened to hold up the budget for the division if he didnt get to adopt those girls.. But Dr. Peter Jensen, acting director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said that did not sound like an appropriate therapy for RAD. I'll be very clear about that. This is what I'm dealin' with eight to 12 hours a day.". They were very delightful, fun, energetic never an ounce of threat from them. The Times had reported on the third sister before the press conference, held Friday afternoon in the old Supreme Court chambers in the state Capitol. The Harts did know that the two little girls had a 5-and-a-half-year-old sister who had been sexually abused. Cheryl Hart recalls asking the Harrises, "Why would you subject your sons to a sexual predator?". On. We had wanted to adopt from the very beginning. The Arkansas Supreme Court today dismissed a lawsuit against the state brought by Justin Harris, the former Republican state representative from West Fork best known for a tragically botched. They cut us off completely, quickly they just thought they knew so much., Cheryl Hart said their offers of respite care that is, extended childcare to allow parents time away from difficult kids went unanswered. He saw it as, Im with God. In the interview with KARK last Friday, Harris said Francis left to spend more time studying for a seminary degree and that the parting was amicable. Resides in Ottawa, KS. The Harts reject Harris claim that the family didnt want the oldest child. Later, at an emotional press conference, Harris placed the blame squarely on the state health services department, which, he said, refused to help when he and his wife struggled with the girls they had adopted. Email justin.harris@sydney.edu.au Address A19 - Griffith Taylor Building The University of Sydney Websites Contact Details Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab Biographical details Justin Harris graduated with a PhD in Psychology from The University of New South Wales in 1995. Years ago, no states had explicitprohibitions against rehoming. Affani. Those adoptive parents who do it, advocates say, are gambling with the well-being of at-risk children whose entire life experienceshave been characterized by abandonment, separation, grief and often abuse. Given the abuse the kids had endured while entrusted to her care, Young believed that it was unlikely a judge would return her children. Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. I think its crazy. But regardless of the facts of this particular case, DHS is often culpable in failed adoptions, she said. 'At this time, that situation, as far as we're concerned from the House perspective, is past tense, and we're moving forward and looking at the remainder of our calendar and finishing the month strong,' Gillam said. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me,' said Rep. Harris, Rapist: Francis pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault in the second degree. The source said demons were an obsession with Marsha Harris. Justin Harris told 20/20, "We are Southern Baptist. Skilled in Negotiation, Sales, Store Management, Communication, Business Development and Sales Prospecting. Eric Francis was later convicted of sexually abusing the 6-year-old and other girls and was given a 40-year prison sentence. I asked them point blank, Why would you put your sons through that? Because [Jeannette] at the time was aggressive thats how she learned to get things in her life. A series of stories by the Arkansas Times revealedthat Harris a day-care owner, a vociferous defender of his Christian faith and a prominent figurein the states Republican Party put two young girls he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused one of them. After just four months in the Harris home, the oldest girl was placed in an inpatient facility and her adoption by the Harrises was never finalized. About Justin Harris. Discover short videos related to justin harris on TikTok. "To give your children away, whether they're your biological children or adoptedI never thought that would be legal anywhere," Wallis told 20/20. I don't care if I lose my position. Lived In Chanute KS, Humboldt IA, Independence KS. Justin Ross Harris: Wiki, Biography, Wife, Age, Kids, Net worth, Parents, Family, Case & More. You dont just change them in a couple of weeks to be the way you want. But the Harrises were hell-bent on having it happen. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. This couple, the girls fourth set of parents in two and a half years, has now legally adopted them. View Justin Harris's business profile as Assistant Vice President & Regional Manager, Underwriting, Southeast Region at PURE Insurance. But things quickly took a turn for the worse as the middle child, also diagnosed with RAD, began to act out despite regular therapy sessions, the Harrises said. "We met a bunch of different families, and we found the parents we absolutely loved," Justin, who came out as gay to his family before his junior . Theyre just normal little girls. See Photos. Sometimes you see kids put in a safe environment and all hell may break loose. I felt it was better. For one of those girls, however, Arkansas Rep. Justin Harriss house came to represent something very different: a temporary stopping point on the way to some place much, much worse. In fact, a past DHS employee at the time came to us and confirmed that the plan at DHS was to seek abandonment charges if we returned the girls.. According to Wallis, Harris told her they could no longer handle the girls, needed to give them back and that ministers came "to visit the house to try and get the demons out of the two little girls." We do not do exorcism. The legislator adopted three girls and turned them over to a man who abused one of them. Sex crimes: Eric Francis (above) is now serving 40 years in prison for rape, Blame game: In a press conference on Friday Rep. Harris blamed what happened on theArkansas Department of Human Services. Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife, Marsha, had always been eager to expand their family of three young sons. The Harrises categorically denied all of Goldsborough's claims. State officials also did not act when they learned that theHarrises had given the girlsto another family, according to the Times, until it was too late. He said DHS threat to charge him with abandonment could have cost him custody of his three biological sons (and, though he did not say so, could have cost him his business as well, Growing Gods Kingdom preschool). I don't care what the people of Arkansas think about me. The legislator adopted three girls and turned them over to a man who abused one of them. West Fork, Arkansas, is represented in state government by Republican Rep. Justin Harris. 00:00. At some point before he was arrested and after his firing, Francis and his wife gave the two girls away to another family, where they are now living. I think everything happens for a reason, so I feel like I was there for a reason, she said. -- an often misunderstood psychological condition that can develop when a child's basic needs for comfort and affection are not met. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. The teen claimed she would watch the girls for a few hours every day after school for several months -- a length of time disputed by the Harrises. When news of the rape came out in April 2014 and Harris was questioned about his former employee, he told the Times hed fired Francis for a poor work record. The third result is Justin Cory Michael Harris age 30s in Lorain, OH. Harris is vice chairman of the panel. Chelsey Goldsborough was a high school senior when she started babysitting for the Harrises' two remaining adopted daughters in spring of 2013. It is known as rehoming, a name that describes a practice more common in pet adoption. But it was not just DHS. We had a dog, a little Bichon, that they were around all the time and there was never once any issue with her abusing an animal. But around March 2013, he and his wife formally adopted the girls two younger sisters, according to the Arkansas Times. In fact, a past DHS employee at the time came to us and confirmed that the plan at DHS was to seek abandonment charges if we returned the girls.". Harris said he was only interested in taking the two youngest girls, but was pressured by DHS into taking all three. 6-year-old girl adopted by Justin and Marsha Harris was re-homed, together with her 3-year-old sister, six months after the adoption was finalized. And so Harris chose to take matters in his own hands near the end of 2013. Everyone testifying before the judge had stipulations, like To be followed up, To continue their therapy at Childrens House, but nobody would say, We really dont think this is a good idea. The Harts believe Bluckers influence made the adoption happen. In the KARK interview, Justin Harris noted that he and his future wife met at Childrens House. 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