A father and son in West Virginia were charged with over 216 counts of incest, sexual assault, and sexual abuse involving two young girls in the same family.
The defendants, identified as 38-year-old Nathaniel Keiling and 73-year-old Francis Keiling, were arrested months apart for the crimes. Nathaniel was first booked into Southern Regional Jail on 20 counts each of sexual assault, incest, and sexual assault by a parent or guardian in the first degree.
According to investigators and a report from station WOAY, the father and son had been assaulting two girls on an almost daily basis for over a decade. From court documents cited by WVVA, one of the victims decided to finally come forward after Nathaniel assaulted her three times in just 24 hours.
The case highlighted the devastating long-term impact of familial abuse and the courage required for victims to come forward. Victims' advocates urged anyone experiencing similar abuse to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.