James Russell Kahl & Carly Kahl, Fayette County, PA parents arrested after keeping their 5 kids locked in a dungeon at their Redstone Township residence

Pennsylvania authorities detained a Fayette County couple after discovering their five children living in 'deplorable living circumstances' in Redstone Township. The parents' arrest comes after troopers executed a search order on the couple's home, discovering a 'house of horrors'.

James Russell Kahl, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, were arrested on Wednesday after state troopers discovered the couple's five children living in a residence on Willis Avenue with no mattresses, boarded-up windows, feces on bedroom walls, fleas, and minimal clothing and food.

5 children found living in deplorable conditions in dungeon, Fayette parents arrested

It's sickening. That's the only term to describe it. "It's sickening," Trooper Ally Wilson told WTAE.

Troopers were initially called to the residence on Aug. 8 to aid Fayette County Children and Youth Services after receiving a complaint about the children, who ranged in age from 5 to 14, living in 'deplorable conditions,' according to court records.

According to police, the father shut the children's bedroom doors from the outside, locking them inside for most of the day and night.

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.

Pictured the Redstone Township home where the Fayette County couple’s five children lived in a basement dungeon.

‘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.