NEWARK, N.J. — Jurors heard closing arguments from attorneys Monday in the child abuse trial of a former Army major and his wife.

John and Carolyn Jackson face charges including child endangerment and assault.

John Jackson was an Army major based at Picatinny Arsenal in northwestern New Jersey when the alleged crimes occurred. The couple now lives in Burlington County.

Prosecutors allege the Jacksons' three foster children, all of them toddlers, suffered injuries including a broken arm and fractured spine and were severely underweight when they were removed from the family home in 2010. The children also were allegedly forced to eat hot pepper flakes and drink hot sauce as punishment.

A government prosecutor Monday morning showed jurors pictures and X-rays of the injuries. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jampol told the panel that "the evidence is all over these children."

Summations by attorneys for the two defendants were expected to continue into Tuesday.

Defense attorneys have contended that while the couple's parenting methods may have been objectionable, they weren't illegal. They say the foster children had health problems when they joined the Jackson family.

The Jacksons' first trial ended in a mistrial when a prosecutor mentioned the death of one of the Jackson children while questioning a witness. The judge had previously ruled that the boy's death could not be introduced during the trial because the Jacksons weren't charged directly with his death.

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