Iowa parents accused of locking teens in basement

Published On: Nov 08 2012 07:27:26 AM CST   Updated On: Nov 08 2012 07:26:00 AM CST
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) -

A suburban Des Moines couple were arrested after their teenage children reported being locked in their basement and fed under a locked door.

Forty-five-year-old Paul Drake and 44-year-old JoAnn Drake have been charged with false imprisonment and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.

One of the children, who were adopted by the Drakes, told a school employee about the situation at the home in Ankeny.

The Iowa Human Services Department has removed the 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy from the home.

Police say the children reported being locked in a basement room for three to four weeks as punishment. They were locked in after school and on weekends.

A phone listed for the Drakes is no longer in service. Online court records don't list attorneys for the Drakes.

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