The teenage son of a New Jersey military couple charged with abusing their three foster children over a period of years is testifying against his parents.
John Jackson Jr. took the witness stand in federal court in Newark starting Tuesday.
His parents, John and Carolyn Jackson, were charged two years ago with crimes including endangerment, assault and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege they punished their foster children by denying them food and water, physically assaulting them and forcing them to drink hot sauce.
Last fall a judge declared a mistrial when a prosecutor inadvertently mentioned that one of the foster children had died.
The Jacksons were living at Picatinny Arsenal in northwestern New Jersey when the alleged abuse took place.
John Jr. is one of the Jacksons' three biological children.
