A Kentucky couple has signed guilty plea offers after authorities say they abused their children for more than two years by locking them in dog cages and burning them with cigarettes.
Kayla Smith and Brian Smith, both 32, face six counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child age 12 or under. They are being held in the Fayette County Detention Center on $75,000 bond each.
The case started on Jan. 30 when child service workers received a report of abuse. Two children said their parents placed them in a dog cage or locked them in a room for hours or days without food. The children also reported being burned with lit cigarettes on multiple occasions.
One child told investigators he would fall asleep in the dog cage to pass the time and was only let out to use the bathroom. Authorities said the abuse lasted about two and a half years. Kayla Smith was arrested on Feb. 3 and Brian Smith the following day.
Both defendants signed guilty plea offers on May 27. A status hearing is scheduled for Aug. 28.