Perjury charges filed against the father of 13 siblings found living captive in Perris
Prosecutors filed felony perjury charges Friday against the father of 13 children found living captive in Perris.
David Turpin and his wife, Louise Turpin, were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped their Perris home and called police using a deactivated cellphone.
That month, Riverside County prosecutors filed dozens of charges against both parents related to the alleged abuse, captivity and torture of the children. In February, prosecutors filed three additional charges of child abuse against the couple, and Louise Turpin was charged with felony assault in relation to an incident involving one of her daughters.
The perjury charges filed Friday relate to affidavits David Turpin signed related to the homeschooling of the children, said John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors say the Turpins inflicted severe abuse and torture on the siblings, who range in age from 2 to 29. The parents allegedly punished their children by beating and choking them, tying them to beds for weeks or months at a time, depriving them of food and forcing them to stay up all night and sleep during the day.
The couple has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges. Pleas on the new charges will likely be entered when the couple appears in court later this month, attorneys said.
They are expected back in court on May 18.
Twitter: @palomaesquivel
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