FARMINGTON, MO (KDKZ-TV) On August 7, 2018 Officers with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist Missouri Children’s Division Investigators with a Child Abuse Hotline call at a residence in the 100 block of Meadowbrook Drive in Farmington. Based on information alleged in the hotline report, investigators believed that children within the home were being confined in rooms secured with plywood and screws.

Investigators and officers were initially denied entry into the home to check the children’s well-being by the 38-year-old male home owner. Once investigators gained entry into the home, they discovered a 38-year-old female removing screws from plywood covering the entrance to small rooms and children coming out from behind the plywood.

The rooms in which the children, between the ages of 5-12 years-old, were being held were described as “specially constructed” rooms with no windows or lighting. All four children consisting of three (3) girls and one (1) boy were placed in the care of Missouri Children’s Division. Both adult occupants of the home were taken into custody and formal charges are being sought at this time.

Investigators remain on the scene and further information will be release as the investigation unfolds.