Independence adults abused children because kids were ‘troubled’: Court documents
Three Independence adults, who live in the same residence, are facing child abuse and child sexual abuse charges.
Maverick Nichols, 22, faces charges of second-degree sodomy, attempted sodomy and attempted rape, according to Jackson County court documents. Dianne Nichols, 47, and Ryan Nichols, 47, face eight counts each of abuse or neglect of a child.
A probable cause statement in support of the trio’s arrests alleges they contributed to the sexual abuse of several children over a five-year period.
A victim disclosed the alleged sexual abuse to a camp counselor in June 2023, according to a probable cause statement for Maverick Nichols’ arrest. The victim told officers that Maverick Nichols, and another perpetrator, whose name is redacted, forced her to perform sex acts on them.
Documents state that in an interview at the Child Protection Center, the victim described multiple instances of abuse allegedly perpetrated by the Nichols, including an incident where she was “dragged into the kitchen” and forced to perform sexl acts.
Maverick Nichols also allegedly performed sexl acts in front of the victim, court records state.
The court records also describe a “severely restrictive and abusive home environment,” in which the victim, along with another child in the home, were confined to their rooms for long periods of time. The children were under video surveillance and allegedly lacked basic necessities such as bathroom breaks.
The victim told investigators the children were required to raise their hands for permission to go to the bathroom and werestruck with utensils, according to court documents.
The second victim corroborated the statement, telling investigators he once broke a window to escape, and was subject to food deprivation and “excessive writing tasks” as punishments.
Court documents state that when the female victim told Ryan and Dianne Nichols about the sexual abuse by Maverick Nichols, the pair accused her of lying and restricted her access to food.
The children told investigators that they would sometimes go up to three days without eating, according to court documents.
When officers executed a search warrant on the Nichols’ residence, they located surveillance equipment, cellphones and “implements used for disciplining the children,” according to the probable cause statement.
In an interview with police, Dianne Nichols allegedly described the victims as “troubled,” stating disciplinary action was necessary due to their “behavioral issues.”
Dianne and Ryan Nichols are set to appear for separate bond review hearings on Sept. 2, according to court documents, while Maverick Nichols is set to appear for a bond review hearing on Sept. 3.
