he also considers its founder, bob larsson, a surrogate father. >> nothing in the state of illinois, nothing in the midwest, nothing in the entire region of the country comes close to pinehaven? >> that is correct. >> reporter: this five-county area is very quiet, low-profile. but it has a most unusual export, children. you see, cassie is one of at least 29 children who over the years have been sent from this region to montana's pinehaven christian children's ranch. this area is a pipeline to pinehaven. and charlie duke gets the approval of prosecutors and judges to make it happen, to a facility with abuse allegations and employees without any certification or licensing from the state of montana. >> i personally know teachers that are there, that are certified teachers from the state of illinois. >> but they're in montana. and the point being, these kids are troubled and they need counseling and there's no one trained to counsel them. does that bother you? >> i believe they get the counseling they need. when they have a nuclear family structure -- >> i understand they have that struc

pinehaven has indeed abused children. >> that doesn't sound very christian to me. >> reporter: bob larssonies abuse of his students, but acknowledge unpleasant problems in the past. a former employee was accused of raping two underaged students. he pled guilty and went to prison. could trained and licensed staff have spotted clues in that teacher's behavior? could they have helped prevent or deal with other horrifying situations, such as this one? james mason says he was sodomized by a fellow student. >> i was raped. i've never told anybody that. he threatened me with fencing pliers to my throat and testicles if i were to ever tell anybody. >> reporter: this is a former student who says he was also raped by a former pinehaven student. >> i started cutting myself. after that i stole some wire from the shop we were working in, and cut my inner thighs. that was the only place it wouldn't show where nobody would see it. i just cut and cut and cut because it's the only thing -- pain -- physical pain felt better than the mental pain that i was going through. >> reporter: two years ago, a sheriff

. >> reporter: bob larsson is a christian preacher and founder of the pinehaven children's ranch in montana. >> i was raised that way, i don't know if you were. 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. that says, 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. >> 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 a

. >> reporter: bob larsson acknowledges unpleasant moments in the past. a former employee was pleaded guilty for rape and went to prison. could they help to prevent ordeal with other horrifying situations, such as this one? james mason says he was sodomized by a fellow student. >> i was raped. i've never told anybody that. threatened me to my test cals if i would ever tell anybody. >> reporter: this is a former student who says he was also raped by a former pinehaf enstudent. >> i cut my inner thighs because that's the only place that wouldn't show. i just cut and cut and cut because it's the only thing -- pain -- physical pain felt better than the mental pain that i was going through. >> reporter: two years ago, a sheriff's office detective in lake county montana investigated abuse allegations against pinehaven. no charges were filed but the case files indicate one alleged victim was interviewed. we talked to the detective's boss, sheriff dave doyle. >> it can be reopened. there are alleged victims out there that may or may not come forward. if they wish