Seven sick children living in deplorable conditions in Pennsylvania rescued

By Mirna Alsharif — NBC News

Seven children were rescued from a home in Pennsylvania and their parents were arrested after police allegedly discovered them malnourished and living in deplorable conditions.

Pennridge Regional Police Department officers responded to the 600 block of Roseann Lane on the afternoon of April 23 for a report of two juveniles entering an abandoned trailer, according to a police report filed May 19. Police found two girls, ages 12 and 14, who appeared unkempt and lived in a trailer next door.

Concerned about the girls, officers asked their parents, Shawn and Crystal Robertson, to see the conditions of their home.

The home was "in obvious disrepair and disorder," the report says. There was also a bicycle lock on the refrigerator in the house that Crystal said was because they were short on food. He referred to the girls as "garbage disposals with legs."

Police also found another minor, aged 16, at the residence. Bucks County social workers responded to the home to investigate.

Pennridge, Pennsylvania, Regional Police officers rescued the seven children. Pennridge Regional Police Department

After a thorough search, four other children were found hiding in a back room: girls aged 4, 8 and 10, as well as a 6-year-old boy. Shawn told officers he didn't tell them about the other kids earlier because "I don't want to get in any trouble," according to the report.

Investigators found unsanitary living conditions in the house, including bad smell, several insects, two dozen rats in cages, as well as feces on the floor and in a blanket. Many parts of the house seemed not to have been cleaned in a long time; and the bathroom, kitchen, floors and walls needed repair.

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Also found in the home were "two dogs, two turtles, two rabbits, snakes, toads and a four-foot reptile known as the Tegu," the report said.

The Robertsons were arrested and charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The seven children were sent to a hospital for examination and placed in foster care.

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All but one child were clinically malnourished, two children tested positive for COVID-19, two had low kidney function and three had fever and were diagnosed with acute viral syndrome, according to the report.

Two of the children needed extensive dental treatments, two needed corrective eye care, and two needed to shave most of their hair because of the large number of tangles.

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The children were also found to have no formal education and had problems with reading, writing and spelling, according to the report.

"All exhibited social anxiety and revealed that they did not like being in public or with other people," the report states.

Shawn and Crystal Robertson posted 10% of the $10,000 bail, according to police. It is unclear at this time if they have legal representation.