Jury selection got underway Monday morning in Laramie County District Court in the trial of the former chairwoman of Community Action of Laramie County on multiple counts of felony child abuse and one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult.

Emily Larkins and her husband Dennis are accused of abusing three adoptive children who were in their care as well as a vulnerable adult.

Court documents allege that among other things Emily Larkins hit a 9-year-old boy with a back scratcher 10-12 times in April of 2015 and several months later choked or strangled him with a belt to the point he was turning blue and marks were left on his neck.

Another incident allegedly again involved choking a 6-year-old girl with a belt sometime between December of 2013 and December of 2014.

Felony child abuse carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine under Wyoming law. Felony abuse of a vulnerable adult carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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