Siraj Wahhaj, wife charged with child abuse

TAOS COUNTY, N.M. - Police have filed new child abuse charges against the father of a 3-year-old Clayton County boy found dead at a New Mexico compound.

Prosecutors have now charged Siraj Wahhaj and his wife with child abuse resulting in death and conspiracy to commit child abuse. Those charges can carry a penalty of life in prison.

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Authorities believe the boy, Abdul Wahhaj died in February during what they call a ritual to cast out demons.

The young boy went missing in December and authorities said he was taken from Georgia to New Mexico by his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj. Authorities said Wahhaj had told his wife he wanted to perform a ritual on the child, he later said he was taking the boy to a park and didn't return.

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Authorities looking for the child raided the compound Aug. 3, arrested the father and four other adults on child cruelty charges and taking custody of the 11 children found living there in filth. From some of the kids, police say they learned Abdul-Ghani spit up during the rituals, which involved the dad reading from the Quran and placing a hand on the boy's head. The children reported Abdul-Ghani finally stopped breathing during one of them.

The boy's body was found on Aug. 6.

Prosecutors said they were training the children to be school shooters. All were granted bond, but were still being held due to safety concerns. One of the women was turned over to the ICE due because she was believed to be in the country illegally.

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The Associated Press contributed to this article