A Scottsdale woman who severely malnourished her three children was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

Kimu Parker was convicted on three counts of child abuse and received 10 years for each count, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said.

The sentences will be served consecutively.

"Thirty years in prison is entirely appropriate for a person who almost starved to death three defenseless children.  We will strongly oppose any attempt to reduce this sentence,” Thomas said in a press release.

When she was arrested, Parker’s 3-year-old weighed 12 pounds, her 9-year-old child weighed 29 pounds and her 11-year-old child weighed 36 pounds.

The parents attributed the low weights to a strict vegan diet.

The youngest child was taken to the hospital in April 2005 after suffering many seizures over the course of several hours. Police reports show the parents didn’t call 911 for several hours.

A social worker examining the child at a Valley hospital called police. When officers arrived, they noticed the other two children looked malnourished as well. Within weeks, Parker and her husband, Blair, were indicted.

He is awaiting trial on three counts of child abuse.

"This is one of the more heartbreaking cases of child abuse this office has seen in recent times," Thomas said in a press release. "We are relieved the children survived and are now doing well.  But we take great issue with comments made by the judge in this case that he may ask the State Board of Clemency to reduce this defendant's prison sentence."