New charges filed against California couple accused of abusing their 13 children
Riverside County prosecutors said Friday they have filed additional charges against the parents of 13 children who were found living in captivity in Perris last month.
David and Louise Turpin each face three additional charges of child abuse and Louise Turpin was charged with felony assault.
The new charges are in addition to dozens of charges related to the alleged abuse and torture of the children that prosecutors filed in January.
Prosecutors moved to file the additional charges during an afternoon court hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice at which both Turpins appeared.
John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, described the additional charges but did not immediately provide details about why they were filed.
David Turpin, 56, and Louise Turpin, 49, were arrested in January after one of their children escaped their Perris home and called police.
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.
After they were rescued, the children were taken to local hospitals for treatment and evaluation.
Jack Osborn and Caleb Mason, attorneys who represent the couple’s seven adult children, told CBS News that they continue to recover at Corona Regional Medical Center, where part of the hospital was converted to resemble a home to be comfortable for them, including with an outdoor area for sports and exercise.
The attorneys told the network that the children have talked about attending college and pursuing careers.
“They all have their own aspirations and their own interests and now they may have an opportunity to address those, which is really exciting,” Osborn said.
They communicate with their younger siblings using Skype, Osborn said.
David and Louise Turpin, meanwhile, are being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside in lieu of $12 million bail each.
They were each previously charged with 12 counts of torture and 12 counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult and six counts of child abuse. David Turpin was also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child under the age of 14. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At a hearing in late January, a judge barred the parents from contacting their children in any way — including by phone or electronically — except through their lawyer.
If convicted, they face up to 94 years in prison.
Twitter: @palomaesquivel
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