MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The parents of a 10-year-old Merrillville, Ind., girl charged with releasing her from a locked room only for meals and school are free on a $30,000 bond.
Gerald Alexander Jr. and his wife, Cynthia, face charges of child neglect for the alleged abuse, which an affidavit says persisted for about two years, the Times of Hammond reported.
"This is one of the worst and nastiest situations I've ever seen," said Merrillville police Detective James Regan. Police say the girl's parents deadbolted their daughter's bedroom door and boarded its windows to prevent her from leaving.
Alexander told police his daughter has behavioral problems and he removed all the furniture from her room because she would soil them. She slept on the floor with a single sheet and no lighting.
The girl's grandparents have been granted custody.
