Parents charged with child cruelty, accused of imprisonment of teenagers

A couple from Whitesburg is facing serious charges after authorities allege they severely mistreated their four teenage children by locking them in their rooms for extended periods.

James and Cindy Spooner have been charged each with four counts of first-degree child cruelty and false imprisonment, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. Investigators executed a search warrant at the family's four-bedroom ranch-style home, where they found three girls and one boy, all teenagers, under conditions described as inhumane.

Sheriff's deputies reported that each child's bedroom door had a deadbolt lock installed on the outside. In addition, they found that exterior doors and windows were boarded up, allegedly to prevent the children from leaving the house.

The teens told investigators they would be locked in their bedrooms for hours to days at a time with a bucket to use as the restroom and were only provided food at the discretion of their parents.

The sheriff's office condemned the actions in a statement:

The investigation remains ongoing.