California authorities say they have rescued more than a dozen starving, filthy young people who were chained inside their parents’ home in Perris.

One of the captives, a 17-year-old girl, escaped over the weekend and notified the Riverside Sheriff’s Department that her siblings “were being held captive inside the residence by her parents,” some of them “bound with chains and padlocks,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

Initially, officials believed the “slightly emaciated” teenager was only 10 years old. They confronted a horrific scene at her home, according to a press release.

“Further investigation revealed several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings, but the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner,” the department said.

“The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty,” the department said.

Not all of them were children: of the 13 victims, seven were between the age of 18 and 29, much to the shock of the Sheriff's Department.

After interviewing both parents — identified as 57-year old David Allen Turpin and 49-year old Louise Anna Turpin — authorities arrested them on torture and child endangerment charges, setting bail at $9m (£6.5m) apiece.

"The kids didn't come out very often," neighbours told NBC Los Angeles. None knew exactly how many children were in the house.

Another, who saw the couple being arrested, said the children "were very, very pale-skinned, almost like they've never seen the sun."

The children's grandparents said that they had not seen the family for four or five years.

James and Betty Turpin told ABC they were considered a good Christian family in their community and that "God called on them" to have so many children.

California records indicate that a David Turpin received state approval to open a private school, the Sandcastle Day School, which reportedly operated from the family home according to CNN. A representative for the California Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/california-perris-13-siblings-found-imprisoned-chained-family-home-police-latest-a8161036.html

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More of those 'christian morals' we atheists lack.