PITTSBURGH—A judge postponed a preliminary hearing for a state deputy attorney general and his wife after prosecutors added additional charges that they physically abused their two adopted children from Ethiopia.

The hearing for 33-year-old Douglas Barbour and his wife, 30-year-old Kristen Barbour, of Franklin Park, is now scheduled for Jan. 18 after Allegheny County prosecutors on Monday added reckless endangerment and additional aggravated assault charges.

Defense attorney Charles Porter says it makes no sense that the Barbours would abuse their adopted children and not their biological children, who are 2 and 4.

Prosecutors last month charged the couple with failing to properly feed their adopted 6-year-old son and inflicting head injuries suffered that could leave their 18-month-daughter blind and paralyzed.

Porter says the couple did their best to cope with the children's extraordinary needs.