An Alabama couple was arrested Thursday after authorities said they used a blowtorch to give three children severe burns.

Ashleigh Ableman, 27, and Howard Anderson, 53, both of Ariton in Dale County, were charged Thursday night with one count of torture/willful abuse of a child, Dale County jail records showed.

A Dale County Sheriff’s Office investigation determined the couple used a blowtorch to burn Ableman’s three children several times, Lt. Caroline Jackson told WDHN.

The victims, who suffered severe burns, were all under 12 years old.

Jackson said the children showed other signs of being abused.