The parents of five children are under arrest after authorities say they were locked into a room that “functioned as a dungeon.”Authorities were called to a home in Redstone Township, Fayette County following the report of children between the ages of five and 14 living in deplorable conditions. “It’s sickening, that’s the only word that I can use to describe what we saw and what those children went through,” Ally Wilson with Pennsylvania State Police said. Inside the home, troopers say they found boarded up windows, feces covering walls, fleas, limited food and clothing, and no beds. According to authorities, the father, James Russell Kahl, would trap his children inside their rooms by locking their bedroom door from the outside all night and through part of the day.”This room functioned as a dungeon with video camera hardwired to the father’s room,” police said in their report.In addition to three deadbolt locks on the outside of the door, authorities said there was no door handle that would allow them to escape.Police also found a stun gun, a replica pistol and drugs inside the home. “Well, it appears that these children were basically held in captivity in this room. We have evidence that there were some cameras that were hard-wired to another room where these children were being observed. And again, there’s no reason to be using a device like a stun gun, which is less lethal, not non-lethal, against the child,” Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said. Kahl and the children’s mother Carly Kahl have been arrested on multiple charges including endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. “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,” Aubele said. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
The parents of five children are under arrest after authorities say they were locked into a room that “functioned as a dungeon.”
Authorities were called to a home in Redstone Township, Fayette County following the report of children between the ages of five and 14 living in deplorable conditions.
“It’s sickening, that’s the only word that I can use to describe what we saw and what those children went through,” Ally Wilson with Pennsylvania State Police said.
Inside the home, troopers say they found boarded up windows, feces covering walls, fleas, limited food and clothing, and no beds.
According to authorities, the father, James Russell Kahl, would trap his children inside their rooms by locking their bedroom door from the outside all night and through part of the day.
“This room functioned as a dungeon with video camera hardwired to the father’s room,” police said in their report.
In addition to three deadbolt locks on the outside of the door, authorities said there was no door handle that would allow them to escape.
Police also found a stun gun, a replica pistol and drugs inside the home.
“Well, it appears that these children were basically held in captivity in this room. We have evidence that there were some cameras that were hard-wired to another room where these children were being observed. And again, there’s no reason to be using a device like a stun gun, which is less lethal, not non-lethal, against the child,” Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said.
Kahl and the children’s mother Carly Kahl have been arrested on multiple charges including endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
“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,” Aubele said.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
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