Foster Father Sexually Abused Two Kids In His Care

​Mark Daniel Obrien, 40, has been charged with statutory sodomy, child molestation, possession of child pornography and child abuse in conjunction with two boys younger than ten. Both boys were in Obrien's custody as foster children at the time of the alleged crimes.

Obrien, of Republic, Missouri, had been active in the foster parent program for close to a decade, but is not an active parent at this time. He had protective custody of 50 children during those ten years -- all of them boys.

The two victims told adults about the abuse after leaving Obrien's care, independently of each other. The Republic Police Department probable cause statements also note:

"(The boy) also stated that Mark had anal sex with him on multiple occasions and would videotape these acts with his video recorder."

Police did find child pornography on Obrien's computer.