A Johnstown man accused of severely beating three children in his custody remains free on bond.

Christopher Ellis, 31, is expected to face a county judge on several child endangerment charges. A court date had not been set as of Thursday.

The three children, who Ellis was trying to adopt, are all under the age of 10. The children reportedly had numerous sores on their bodies as a result of being beaten.

According to a police report, school staff members noticed a problem when one of the children couldn't sit down in his chair at school. The children are quoted in the police report describing the paddle they said Ellis used on them.

"It was a gift from our pap to our dad. Dad laughed about how hard he could hit with it because the holes wouldn't let any air in," one child told police.

Another one of the children said, "It hurt so bad I just stopped counting. My butt was cut and there was bleeding. I couldn't lay on it. It felt worse than it ever did."

The children have all been placed back into foster care. Stay with Channel 6 News and WJACTV.com for continuing coverage.