ST. FRANCISVILLE - A married couple accused of abusing a child who was in their custody for several years pleaded not guilty to charges in West Feliciana Parish on Thursday.  

Gretchen and Glenn Hanchey are both accused of felony cruelty to juveniles. Gretchen Hanchey was also booked on second-degree battery charges, while her husband was booked on Wednesday on false imprisonment charges. 

The pair is accused of child abuse dating back to 2024. Both have bonded out of the West Feliciana Parish Jail.

Gretchen Hanchey, 49, got custody of the child in 2018. She would allegedly hit the child with a metal bat and sticks, which continued over the next six years. In 2024, the couple brought the girl to a group home in Tupelo, Mississippi. A report  from Mississippi officials say the child had burn injuries, scarring on her face and appeared to have suffered blunt force trauma.

Court records WBRZ found also show that this wasn't the first home the child was placed in after allegations of abuse were made. In 2017, she was taken from her mother's home after allegations of poor living conditions. She was moved again in 2020 when the Hancheys got official custody of her.

Only WBRZ television cameras were at Thursday morning's hearing where a motions hearing for the child abuse case was set for Jan. 29, 2026, while a trial was set for May 11, 2026.