A Newhall couple pleaded not guilty in court after facing multiple felony charges for allegedly sexually abusing several children.

Jacqueline Wadsworth, 32, and Francisco Avendaño, 42, were both charged and arraigned on April 4 with two counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14. Avendaño also was charged with an additional four counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14.

Wadsworth and Avendaño pleaded not guilty to an amended complaint adding one count of lewd act upon a child age 14 and charging Avendaño with two additional counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 and one count of continuous sexual abuse.

Early in 2016, Detectives began investigating allegations that the suspects in this case were involved in the molestation of several children at several locations in the Santa Clarita Valley area. On Thursday, March 31, 2016, Detectives arrested the suspects during the service of a search warrant at their residence in Santa Clarita.

Based on information developed over the course of this investigation, detectives believe that there are other children that may have potentially been sexually assaulted by these suspects during the past ten years.

Both defendants are scheduled back for a preliminary hearing on May 25 in Department G of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, San Fernando Branch.

The 10 felony charges included allege the sexual abuse of seven children from January 2001 to last December. The victims ranged in ages from 3 to 14 years old and included family members and other children who visited the defendants’ home, prosecutors said.

As a result of the amended complaint, bail for Avendaño was raised to more than $2 million and bail for Wadsworth was raised to $220,000.

If convicted as charged, Avendaño faces a possible maximum sentence of 135 years to life in state prison and Wadsworth faces more than 10 years.

Deputy District Attorney Julie Kramer is the assigned prosecutor.

The case remains under investigation by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.