Turpin family latest: Parents smile in court as judge bans them from contacting 'tortured' children

David and Louise Turpin ordered to stay 100 yards from the siblings and have no electronic contact for three years

Louise Turpin appeared with her husband in court in Riverside, California (Reuters)

The US parents who allegedly imprisoned and tortured their 13 children, keeping some of them shackled to their beds, have been barred from contacting them by a California judge.

David and Louise Turpin were ordered to stay 100 yards (91m) from the siblings and have no electronic contact for three years. They will only be able to communicate through lawyers and interpreters.

The 56-year-old and his 49-year-old wife were shackled as they appeared in the state superior court in Riverside, California. Before the short hearing, Louise Turpin was seen smiling at her husband.

The pair have been charged with multiple counts of torture, false imprisonment and other charges against their children, whose ages range between two and 29.

David Turpin has also been charged with one count of a lewd act on a child by force. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face. If convicted, both face 94 years in prison.

The children, who were rescued after one of them escaped from the family home in the city of Perris, remain in hospital.

David Turpin’s lawyer, David Macher, said the protective order “protects everyone involved, including my client”.

He added: “I don’t want my client exposed to accusations that he attempted to harass or threaten a witness.”

David Turpin and Louise Turpin appear in court in Riverside, California (Reuters) (REUTERS)

At a recent press conference prosecutors detailed some of the allegations against the parents.

Calling it one of the most horrific cases of “human depravity” he’d seen in his career, Riverside County district attorney Mike Hestrin said the children lived in isolation from each other and were locked in small groups in different rooms.

They had no access to televisions or radios but were able to read and write. Hundreds of journals were seized from their home.

“It appears to me that they lacked any kind of understanding about how the world worked,” Mr Hestrin said. “Victims in these kinds of cases, they tell their story, but they tell it slowly. They tell it at their own pace. It will come out when it comes out.”

He said the children were denied food, basic hygiene and medical care, and were punished for perceived infractions such as washing their hands above the wrist.

The children were often physically abused, and sometimes strangled. They were allegedly only allowed one shower a year and allowed to eat just one meal a day, although their parents would sometimes buy food and place it where the children could see it but not eat it.

One of the older boys took multiple classes at a nearby community college, but he was taken to and from the campus by his mother, who waited outside for him, Mr Hestrin said.

Earlier this week, Louise Turpin’s half-brother, Billy Lambert, told several news organisations that she had aspired to have a reality television show focusing on their large family. But Hestrin said investigators have uncovered no evidence indicating the couple was seeking media attention or a show.

Additional reporting by agencies