Investigators have reportedly uncovered instances of minors working on the kill floor of a poultry plant owned by Mar-Jac Poultry, the same company implicated in the death of a teenager last year, according to court filings.

On May 1, Department of Labor investigators identified "oppressive child labor" at the Alabama poultry plant, finding children engaged in deboning poultry and cutting carcasses after obtaining a civil search warrant. The investigation revealed that these minors had been working at the facility for several months.

Mar-Jac Poultry, in response to the allegations, denied any knowledge of employing underage workers. The company stated that the minors had been hired with documents indicating they were over 18 years old.

"Mar-Jac will continue to vigorously defend itself and expects to prevail in this matter," the company stated to ABC News. "Mar-Jac is committed to complying with all relevant laws."

The Department of Labor is pursuing a court order to prevent Mar-Jac from selling and shipping poultry "tainted by oppressive child labor" from its Alabama plant.

Earlier this year, federal regulators deemed the July 2023 death of Duvan Perez, a 16-year-old who died while cleaning a poultry processing machine at a Mar-Jac facility, a "preventable, dangerous situation" that no worker, especially a child, should have been in.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Mar-Jac Poultry with 14 serious and three "other than serious" violations, proposing $212,646 in penalties for Perez's death. OSHA had previously cited the company for a 2021 incident where an adult employee suffered fatal injuries while working.

In January, Perez's mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mar-Jac, two of its employees, and the agency that hired Perez. The lawsuit alleges that Mar-Jac's negligence in ignoring safety regulations led to Perez's death, claiming the defendants "acted intentionally, willfully, wantonly, knowingly, with malice and/or were grossly negligent and in reckless disregard to the rights and the safety of the decedent and others similarly situated."

Court records reviewed by ABC News show that Mar-Jac's Hattiesburg plant has faced multiple lawsuits in recent years from individuals alleging injuries sustained at the plant. One lawsuit, filed in December 2022, is set for a jury trial in August. Another lawsuit, filed by a Department of Agriculture veterinarian who allegedly fell during an inspection, resulted in a jury ruling in favor of Mar-Jac.

Additionally, OSHA cited the Alabama plant in December for a serious violation following an employee injury.

The Department of Labor reported that last year, 5,800 children were employed in violation of child labor laws, marking an 88% increase since 2019. Of the 955 child labor cases investigated and closed by federal regulators in 2023, more than half involved minors working in hazardous occupations.

The troubling trend of increased child labor violations has raised concerns among advocacy groups and lawmakers, who are calling for stricter enforcement of existing laws and harsher penalties for violators. Experts emphasize the need for comprehensive measures to protect vulnerable children from exploitation, including better verification processes for age documentation and enhanced oversight of employment practices in high-risk industries like meat processing.

Mar-Jac's recent controversies have intensified scrutiny on the poultry industry, highlighting the urgent need for reform and greater accountability. As the legal proceedings unfold, the company faces mounting pressure to address these issues and implement robust safeguards to prevent future violations. The outcome of these cases could set important precedents for child labor regulations and corporate responsibility in the United States.