James Russell and Carly Kahl, Fayette County, Pennsylvania parents arrested after keeping their 5 kids locked and living in a dungeon at their Redstone Township residence with no beds, food, flees. Parents spent all day getting high according to children.
Pennsylvania authorities have arrested a Fayette County couple after coming across their five children living in ‘deplorable living conditions’ in Redstone Township. The parents arrest comes after troopers conducting a search warrant on the couple’s residence only to find a ‘house of horrors‘.
James Russell Kahl, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, were taken into custody on Wednesday after state troopers found the couple’s five children living in a home along Willis Avenue with no beds, boarded-up windows, feces on bedroom walls, fleas, limited clothing, and food.
5 children found living in deplorable conditions in dungeon, Fayette parents arrested
‘It is sickening. That is the only word to describe it. It’s sickening,’ Trooper Ally Wilson told WTAE.
Troopers were originally called to the home on Aug. 8 to assist Fayette County Children and Youth Services after receiving a complaint about the children, all ranging from the age of 5 to 14, living in ‘deplorable conditions,’ according to court documents.
Police say the father locked the children’s bedroom door from the outside, trapping them in their rooms throughout part of the day and all night long.
The room functioned as a ‘dungeon,’ with video cameras hardwired to the father’s room, authorities said. Troopers noticed three deadbolt locks on the outside of the door and no door handle, which gave the children no way to escape.
When asked about the locks, James allegedly told troopers and a Children and Youth Services employee that he would ‘not be removing the locks from the bedroom door for any reason,’ WPXI reports.
Cameras were hardwired inside dungeon allowing parents to observe children
The children were safely removed from the household and placed into the care of CYS, where they remain.
In the weeks since, the children reportedly told authorities that their father smoked marijuana all day and would not care for them.
‘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,’ Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele said.
A search warrant was served on Wednesday, at which point both parents were taken into custody. Troopers recovered a stun gun, a replica pistol, a surveillance camera, drugs, and drug paraphernalia.
‘Well it appears that these children were basically held in captivity in this room,’ Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele told reporters.
‘We have evidence that there were some cameras that were hardwired to another room where these children were being observed,’ he continued. ‘And again, there’s no reason to be using a device like a stun gun, which is less lethal, not lethal, against a child.’
The District Attorney went on to thank the ‘brave family member’ who reported the ‘deplorable conditions’ to the state’s ChildLine system.
‘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.’
The couple now face a slew of charges including endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. Bail has been denied for both of the parents.
