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A Price couple have been charged with sexually abusing several children, from toddlers to teens, during the past three years.
Amanda Nicole Romano, 26, was charged in 7th District Court on Thursday with five counts of object rape of a child, five counts of sodomy upon a child, four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child — all first-degree felonies — and class A misdemeanor child abuse.
Her husband, Timothy Lee Romano, 25, was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
The alleged victims are an unspecified number of boys and girls ranging in age from 2 to 15 years old. One of them mentioned the alleged abuse to someone unrelated to the Romanos, Price police Capt. Bill Barnes said.
Alarmed, that person contacted someone they knew in the Utah Division of Child and Family Services, which started investigating, Barnes said.
Based on what the division uncovered, it contacted the police, who began their criminal investigation in late October.
Barnes did not comment on how the Romanos knew the children but noted that the aggravated charges denote a position of trust between the adults and the alleged victims, such as that of a baby sitter or teacher.
Police arrested the Romanos on Nov. 9 and booked them into Carbon County jail, Barnes said.
A friend of the Romanos also was arrested the next day and booked, and police anticipate the Carbon County Attorney's Office will file charges against him in a few days.
The Romanos have one young child, who is now in state custody. Barnes declined to comment on whether their child is among their victims.
"The Division of Child and Family Services is really doing a good job at providing resources and help to the victims and their families," Barnes said.
Price police have no indication that there are additional victims, but police can be reached at 435-636-3190.
The couple are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Monday.