11 children found caged in Ohio house

Sheriff's deputies have found 11 children locked in cages less than 3 1/2 feet high inside a home, but a couple denied they had abused or neglected the children.

A judge on Monday put the children who range in age from 1 to 14 and who have various disabilities, including autism in foster homes.

The children were found in nine cages built into the walls of the house near this small city in northern Ohio, according to the Huron County Sheriff's Office. They had no blankets or pillows, and the cages were rigged with alarms that sounded if opened, Lt. Randy Sommers said.

The children told authorities they slept in the cages 40 inches high and 40 inches deep at night. Doors to some of the cages were blocked with heavy furniture.

Sharen and Mike Gravelle are adoptive or foster parents for all 11 children, officials said. Prosecutors were reviewing the case, but no charges had been filed as of Monday night, reports Washington Post.

According to CNN, shortly after being found, the children were sent to Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk, where they were listed in good condition.

The children's parents, Mike and Sharon Gravelle, had 11 children in all, according to authorities.

Police said no charges had been filed against the parents.

"Basically, the parents thought they were providing for the protection of the children from themselves and from each other," said Sommers.

"They thought there was circumstances with these children that warranted the cages at night," Sommers added, but he would not go into details of what those circumstances were.

All 11 of the children found in the home have been placed in the custody of the Huron County Department of Children and Families.