An Alabama man named James Bond and two others are in custody after allegedly keeping children in cages.
Bond, 69, Pamela Deloris Bond, 66, and 30-year-old Kylla Michelle Mann were arrested and charged with child abuse on Wednesday.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Department said that when human resources investigators conducted a welfare check on a home in Smiths Station, Alabama, they discovered two wooden cages with locks and hasps surrounding mattresses and blankets. Also found in the home were four children, ages 11, 10, 4, and 3.
“Investigation revealed evidence that the children had been locked in the cages on multiple occasions,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Investigators discovered that a fifth child, age 8 months, also resided at the residence but was not present at the time of contact.”
The sheriff’s office said that all five children were removed from the home and taken into government custody.
Mann is reportedly the mother of the children, while the Bonds are their grandparents. It is unclear who owned the house.
The three were charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse of a child younger than 6 and two counts of reckless endangerment. Pamela Bond was additionally charged for tampering with physical evidence.
All three are being held on more than $120,000 bond.
