Five children were discovered locked in a deplorable, feces-covered “dungeon” inside a Pennsylvania home and now their parents — who allegedly had a live feed of the room — are facing charges, according to reports and authorities.
State troopers arrested James Russell Kahl, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, on Wednesday after their five children were discovered in a Redstone Township home with no beds, boarded-up windows, fleas, feces smeared bedroom walls, and little clothing or food, troopers told KDKA.
The children found in the disturbing conditions were between 5 and 14 years old, authorities added.
Video captured a cross-eyed Carly Kahl and a stunned-looking James Kahl being escorted out of the home by law enforcement.
“It’s sickening, that’s the only word that I can use to describe what we saw and what those children went through,” Trooper Ally Wilson told the outlet.
Pennsylvania State Police were originally called to the home on Aug. 8 to help Fayette County Children and Youth Services handle a complaint received about the kids. The couple was arrested this week after authorities served a search warrant on the home, police detailed.
Their father, James Kahl, allegedly locked the children inside the filthy bedroom, which functioned as a “dungeon,” trapping them inside the hellhole for part of the day and all night.
James told troopers and a CYS case worker that he would “not be removing the locks from the bedroom door for any reason,” a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI stated.
Inside the house of horrors, cops found cameras hardwired to the father’s room and three deadbolt locks on the outside of the door, and no door handle, effectively trapping the children, police added.
Police also found a stun gun, a replica pistol, drugs, and drug paraphernalia inside the home, the outlet reported.
During interviews with the children, authorities were allegedly told that James Kahl smoked marijuana throughout the day and neglected his kids. He also allegedly made their mother taser one of the kids with the stun gun as a punishment recently, the criminal complaint stated.
The children have all been removed from the home and are now in the care of youth services.
“Based on what I’ve seen, there’s going to be a long process. I won’t speak directly to the children, but I can’t imagine, I mean, I can’t imagine living in a household like what we saw,” Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele told WTAE.
“We are very, very happy that a family member was willing to come forward and report this to us. We are very happy with our Children and Youth Services, who removed these children, and our Belle Vernon state police that continued this investigation long after the children were removed to make the arrest that they did today,” Aubele said.
“Law enforcement cannot be in every household and every single minute of every day; we need people to come forward and think of these children,” he said.
The Kahls have been arrested on a slew of charges, including endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and drug possession, records show.
The couple has been ordered to be held in jail without bail, according to court records.
James Kahl also pleaded guilty to a harassment charge in 2006, records indicate.
“I’m hoping that these parents go to jail and they answer for what they’ve done,” Trooper Wilson said.
The incident remains under investigation.
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