REDSTONE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Fayette County parents are in custody after Pennsylvania State Police say their five kids were living in “deplorable conditions.”
According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, the investigation into this case began in early August, after CYS got a complaint of deplorable living conditions at a home on Willis Avenue in Redstone Township, where five kids under 14 lived.
PSP responded to the home to assist CYS with the complaint, making contact with parents James Kahl and Carly Kahl. Troopers say the home had no beds, boarded up windows, feces covering the bedroom walls, fleas, limited clothing, limited food and more.
“I can’t imagine living in a household like what we saw,” said District Attorney Mike Aubele.
The investigation determined that the father locked the children’s bedroom from the outside, trapping them inside their rooms for part of the day and all night. The door had three deadbolts on the outside and no door handle.
A criminal complaint claims that James told Troopers and a CYS case worker that he would “not be removing the locks from the bedroom door for any reason.”
“This room functioned as a dungeon with video cameras hardwired to the father’s room,” the PSP release stated.
“It’s sickening,” said Trooper Ally Wilson. “It’s the only word I can use to describe what we saw and what those children went through.”
The children, aged between five and 14, were immediately removed from the home and placed in the care of CYS. In the following weeks, forensic interviews were conducted with children.
A criminal complaint claims that during those interviews, allegations were made that James smoked marijuana all day and would not care for the children. He’s also accused of making Carly taser one of the kids as a punishment within the last two weeks.
“There’s no reason to be using a device like a stun gun, which is less lethal, not non-lethal, against a child,” Aubele said.
Aubele said the tip to the ChildLine was made by a “brave family member.” He said tips like that are extremely important in child abuse cases.
“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.
During a search warrant served at the home on Wednesday, PSP said investigators recovered a stun gun, a replica pistol, a surveillance camera, drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Online court records show James and Carly are charged with recklessly endangering another person, use of an incapacitation device, endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault and drug charges.
“I’m hoping that these parents go to jail and they answer for what they’ve done,” Trooper Wilson said.
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