An Arizona man has been convicted of negligent child abuse and reckless child abuse for feeding his three children an extreme vegetarian diet.

Blair Parker of Scottsdale could be sentenced to as much as 16 years in prison following Thursday's verdict, The Arizona Republic reported. Parker's wife, Kimu, was convicted last year of intentional child abuse and given a mandatory 30-year sentence.

The couple were charged in 2005 after their 3-year-old daughter suffered an apparent seizure. Doctors found that she weighed only 13 pounds and that her two older siblings were also emaciated -- with the 11-year-old girl the size of a 5-year-old and a son, 9, the size of a 3-year-old.

On the witness stand, Parker admitted feeding their children a diet with no meat, fish or dairy products under the guidance of a naturopath in Washington state who did not actually see them. He said he believed they were healthy and that their failure to grow came from not absorbing nutrients.

Prosecutors said the diet the Parkers devised was not a good one. The children gained weight after being placed in foster care even though they were still on a vegan diet.

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