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'Duct Tape' Mom Makes Bail

LEVITTOWN, Pa. -- A woman accused of using duct tape to restrain three young children is now free on bail, while her husband remains in custody.

Colleen Broe, 34, was charged Wednesday with felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and false imprisonment for restraining the children by using duct tape.

Her husband, Neil Broe, 41, was also charged with endangering the welfare of children by documenting his wife's activity for months without reporting it to authorities, police said.

The Levittown, Pa., woman, made $250,000 bail on Thursday, while her husband was remanded to Bucks County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.

A 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were allegedly taped over the course of several months by Colleen Broe to keep them from taking their diapers off and crawling out of their cribs, police said. Police said the couple's biological son, 5, told detectives he had been taped.

NBC 10 has learned that according to police documents, Collen Broe acknowledged that she used duct tape on the children many times.

NBC 10 also has learned that the Broes filed for divorce in January 2003.

Neighbors were shocked when they heard the allegations about the children's treatment.

"It just blew my mind," said one neighbor interviewed by NBC 10. "That picture . . . definitely looks like a real baby. It just blows my mind."

Child-welfare officials interviewed by NBC 10 said they inspected the Broe's home regularly.

"These were agency foster parents," said Brad Jackman from the Bucks County Social Services Agency. "These are people we trusted to take care of these babies and they betrayed that trust and they betrayed the trust of people at the agency."

Jackman said on Tuesday, he received nearly 40 photos of the children after they had been secured with duct tape.

Middletown Township police said that digital photos of the children showed the children with their ankles, wrists, torsos and other areas taped, and some pictures depicted the children so severely taped up that they look "mummified."

Police said that a search of the couple's home Wednesday morning at 82 Cobalt Ridge Drive E. revealed pieces of children's clothing and evidence of duct tape that matched the manner in which they were depicted in the photographs.

Police said Neil Broe took the pictures to document the abuse after the couple started having marital difficulties.

Investigators said Neil Broe passed some of those photographs on to an acquaintance who then gave them to authorities.

A Feb. 15, 2002, article in the Bucks County Courier-Times reported that the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency based in Doylestown, Pa., had honored the couple for their efforts as foster parents.

The article quoted Roxanne Watkins-Hall, a placement resources supervisor for the agency, saying that, "The Broes were spotlighted because we wanted to recognize a couple who is fairly new to the program, and they've also proven to be very good foster parents."

All children were removed from the home for their safety, police said Wednesday

All children were removed from the home for their safety, police said Wednesday

By the same people that put them there for their safety.

"These were agency foster parents," said Brad Jackman from the Bucks County Social Services Agency. "These are people we trusted to take care of these babies and they betrayed that trust and they betrayed the trust of people at the agency."

Social workers aren't supposed to trust; they're supposed to verify. And regularly.

How in the he11 does SHE get out of jail while he stays in?

She is the one who tied the kids up--all he is accused of is not reporting it.