A Texas residential home for troubled boys was reportedly raided Wednesday as authorities investigated allegations of abuse and human trafficking, officials said Friday.

Per the Burnet Bulletin, the children, ranging in age from 10 to 17, were removed from Joshua Home following a weeks-long investigation conducted by state and local authorities who executed a search warrant this week. Authorities got involved after receiving reports of labor violations, fraud, licensing violations, abuse, and human trafficking at the home.

According to the newspaper, Joshua Home is affiliated with a nonprofit organization called The Joshua Home Ministries.

“I just wanted to let Texas know what they had coming, if they had something they could check into,” said McDonald (Missouri) County Sheriff Michael Hall, who called the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office to inform them the organization was moving to Texas.

Hall said he looked into different abuse allegations when the organization was in Missouri, but the investigation ended when the organization relocated and the boys didn’t show signs of abuse.

“We never got further to look into it,” Hall told KXAN. “They moved.”

The children are in the custody of Child Protective Services until they can be reunited with their parents—all of whom live out of state. Officials noted that none of the children are relatives of staff at the home.

The story is still developing. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

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