The Pennsylvania Superior Court has upheld a seven to 40-year prison sentence imposed on a Houtzdale woman who last year pleaded guilty to the “pervasive and severe” abuse of her six adopted children.

Barbara Jean Krause, 52, who is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, appealed her lengthy prison sentence from Clearfield County Judge Paul Cherry, contending it was unreasonable and excessive.

Cherry stated he handed down the long sentence “due to the gravity of (Krause’s) crimes, the need to protect the public from her violent propensities and to best serve (Krause’s) rehabilitative needs.”

The judge stated that he did not agree the sentence for Krause’s abusive behavior toward the children, which extended over a period of seven years, was excessive.

In an opinion issued Wednesday and written by Judge John T. Bender, the Superior Court agreed with Cherry, emphasizing the judge did not abuse his discretion, even though Krause had no prior criminal record and the offenses to which she pleaded were all misdemeanors or summary offenses.

Bender was joined in his opinion by Judges Judith F. Olson and Correale F. Stevens.

Krause and her husband, Timothy Dean Krause, 53, were arrested in 2018, with each being charged with 22 offenses that included simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment.

They entered guilty pleas, and both were given the same sentence of seven to 40 years.

The Superior Court upheld the husband’s sentence in an opinion handed down last week.

One of the appeal issues was that Krause and her husband each received the same sentence in the aggravated range of Pennsylvania’s sentencing guidelines.

The defense, led by attorney Robert J. Leiden of Ebensburg contended the judge did not “individualize” Barbara Krause’s sentence.

Cherry responded in his summation of the case by pointing out the couple abused their six adopted children for a period of seven years, 2011 through 2018.

“The nature and severity of these crimes shocked the conscience of the court. These six children were brutalized. The crimes were violent and persisted for seven years,” he stated.

The Superior Court ruled the defense had raised a “substantial question” of law but concluded in view of the brutal treatment of the children, the judge imposed an appropriate sentence on each of the defendants.

The ages of the children at the time of the parents’ arrests were from 12 to 16 years.

The children included five boys and a girl.

The Krauses used a paddle on the children and were accused of swatting them until they bled, the Superior Court opinion pointed out.

The parents would make the children stand with their backs against the wall and knees bent, for long periods of time.

As punishment, the parents deprived the children of food, including an egg-and-water diet that lasted for weeks. The children were malnourished, according to the charges.

The parents were accused of threatening the youngsters with guns and an ax.

They also allowed the family dog to bite the children.

The children were homeschooled and were behind in their studies, according to the opinion.

Both the defendants argued that the court imposed life sentences on them but the sentencing court concluded that both will be eligible for parole within seven years, “which is hardly a life sentence.”