A Franklin County couple is in jail after authorities say they discovered three children living in horrible conditions.
During a news conference Tuesday, authorities said that the children, ages 2, 4, and 6, were rescued from the home.
In what the Franklin County Sheriff called one of the worst child abuse cases he has ever seen, children were found living in feces, bugs, and filth. Sheriff Pat Melton said that the kids were often left inside a dark room that was locked from the outside.
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“They had a nail,” said Sheriff Melton. “And they were taking rope and tying it to the door and pulling the door shut, sealing them in there with black plastic over the windows and wrapping them.”
The children showed signs of malnourishment, delayed development, and the Sheriff said the two youngest children were wearing soiled diapers.
Sheriff Melton said that one of the children had only grown 5.4 ounces since their last appointment with a physician two years ago.
The Sheriff says they were removed from the home when the investigation started back in July.
This morning Kimberly and Andrew Powell, ages 26 and 25 respectively, were indicted by a grand jury. They are in the Franklin County Jail on charges of felony criminal abuse of a child. They are being held on a $25,000 cash bond.
Andrew Powell’s brother and sister say police and social services exaggerated the state of the home.
“I know how he is. He wouldn’t hurt his kids. He wouldn’t do nothing like what they’re trying to say,” said Justin Hendricks, Andrew Powell’s brother.
They said that after an initial visit from officials, the Powells had cleaned up their house, and had plenty of food.
“I do know that he got phone calls from all three of the kids doctors appointments, and every one of them said they were fine,” said Hendricks.
“I feel that this is just a lot of hearsay, and I don’t think that they gave them a chance to progress on what they needed to do,” said Holly Powell, Andrew’s sister. “I don’t think that they should be sitting in the jail right now. The kids, they’re with somebody that they don’t even know.”
