Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
Victorville, California – A Victorville family accused of carrying out a years-long pattern of brutal abuse on six children appeared in court Thursday, pleading not guilty to multiple felony charges including torture and child abuse. A judge ordered all three defendants held without bail.
Tina Marie Sheffield Key, 60, her husband Kenneth Michael Key, 60, and their daughter Katlynn Marresa Key, 23, were arraigned via video in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse. Each faces six counts of torture and one count of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause significant bodily injury or death. Prosecutors are also pursuing a special allegation for personal infliction of great bodily harm.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges following an extensive investigation by the Sheriff’s Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit and the Children’s Assessment Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
According to authorities, the victims—six children between the ages of 4 and 16 who were in guardianship care with the Key family—were subjected to years of horrifying abuse. Allegations include daily beatings, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and prolonged periods of starvation and dehydration.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson called the case a “horror story,” drawing comparisons to the infamous Turpin child abuse case, which made national headlines in 2018.
“When you’re dealing with the repetitive nature of it, the most I’ll say is that it clearly is physical, emotional and nutritional abuse,” Anderson said at a press conference.
The abuse allegedly took place from February 2015 to February 2025, with the children having lived with the Key family for approximately two years. The case came to light when the oldest child, a 16-year-old, escaped the home and flagged down help at a nearby store. Authorities say they later found evidence at the house that corroborated the child’s claims.
Some of the older children had reportedly documented their abuse through handwritten notes, photographs, and digital records on iPads and cameras.
Investigators are continuing to evaluate the children’s prior injuries, including conducting bone and skeletal scans. They are also reviewing potential international leads and medical histories to determine the full scope of the abuse.
The investigation remains ongoing.
