'House of Horrors' Parents Barred from Contacting Their Children

The parents in Southern California accused of abusing and imprisoning 12 of their 13 children were banned from contacting them by a California judge Wednesday.
    
David and Louise Turpin have been ordered to stay 100 yards away from their children and have no electronic contact for three years. They are only allowed to communicate through lawyers and interpreters.  

Before the brief hearing, Louise Turpin looked at her husband and smiled. 

All but one of the siblings, ages two to 29, are being treated for malnourishment and severe emotional trauma.

Investigators say the children are slowly providing them with valuable information. 

"Victims in these kinds of cases, they tell their story, but they tell it slowly. They tell it at their own pace," Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. "It will come out when it comes out."    

The children did not have access to televisions or radios but were able to read and write. 

Hundreds of journals were seized from the home that contained the children's writings. 

"It appears to me that they lacked any kind of understanding about how the world worked," Hestrin said.

The children told social services that they want to stay together, but the six minors will be split up between two foster homes and the older siblings will go to an assisted living facility. 

Officials say they're just at the beginning of this case and the investigation is far from over.

The parents have pleaded not guilty to torture and other charges. If convicted, they could face 94 years in prison.