. >> reporter: and bob larson is blunt. kid who comes here is expected to behave and praise the lord. what do you try to teach these children, first of all, about christianity? >> well, that god loves them. and god is the answer of everything. he's the ruler of the universe. he made man and the world and he made the rules. >> reporter: but some say there's more to pinehaven than teachings. they say there's violence. denies and dave bingam were house parents there until 2010. in charge of taking care of children who lived in one of the cabin style homes on the ranch. >> children are hurt at pinehaven. when kids won't obey, physical pain is used to get them to comply. whether it's pressure points, sometimes they were drug down the hill. sometimes they were choked. but it was used to get them to comply. i think god weeps about the wrong been done. of course he does. >> reporter: the owner of pinehaven says this is untrue. >> i'm not saying they lied. i think this is their perception of what happened as they look back on it. an

. >> reporter: bob larson is the founder and a preacher at pine haven. >> the two biggest reasons can have the normal home background and training with a dad and a mom and failing adoptions. >> reporter: paula bowen admits she's had serious problems with her life, including imprisonment. but says she doesn't want her daughter at pine haven, because of allegations from former employees at the ranch, like dennis and dave bingham, that children were choked and hit in the name of god. >> the kids were being abused at pine haven. they were. no doubt about it. >> reporter: allegations backed by former students who say they were choked and hit not by bob larson, but by people who worked for bob larson. >> show me what they would do to you. >> up here, like this, then up against the wall, lift you off your feet. >> reporter: all was normal with the children during our visit to pine hache. but if paula was worried with what she heard, why not call cassie out? because she can't. an illinois judge signed a court order declaring it is in the best interest of the minor to remove the minor from the

. >> reporter: a former student says one of bob larson's employees -- >> picked me up dun this section of throat here and lifted me up and slammed me down on the kitchen table and basically held me down and told me that i was a drug addict and i was never going to amount to anything. >> reporter: some former employees of the ranch say they witnessed abuse. >> i know it caused extreme pain because the kids were wrenching and screaming because of the pain of what had happened. >> reporter: bob larson says satan is behind the dozen or so teachers and students. >> i'm not perfect and the bible says you can expect this to happen. >> reporter: some of them accused is long-time employee and house employee, ned kent. some of the kids who are now adults tell us that you used to choke them. >> that's totally false. >> reporter: what is it that you did to them? >> used pressure points to restrain them but -- >> what does that mean? >> you have places on your body where nerve endings are close. >> reporter: show me on my body. >> right here. show me on my -- >> right there. >> reporter: ned claims

. >> reporter: bob larson is a christian preacher and founder of a school in northern montana. >> i don't know if you were there. clean up your plate. don't waste anything. >> reporter: there are about 40 children and teenagers at the ranch right now. some have troubled pasts, others have troubled families. >> and they know when they come, they sign a form of acceptance for coming. i understand this is a christian program. i do believe in god. i believe jesus is the son of god and the bible is the word of god and i have no objection to being taught along those lines. >> reporter: but many former students have objections to what they recall as physical abuse at the ranch. >> choking was to be expected at some point. nerves under my chin when i went into the marine corps were dead. >> lifted me up and slammed me down on the kitchen table and basically held me down and told me that i was a drug addict and i was never going to amount to anything. >> reporter: some former employees of the ranch say they witnessed abuse. >> i know it caused extreme pain because the kids were wrenching and compl