Authorities in Indiana have taken into custody the parents of an 8-month-old girl who was discovered in a dire state of malnourishment, tipping the scales at a mere nine pounds. This shocking case has drawn widespread attention and concern.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office identified the parents as Benjamin Tackett and Kayla Thompson, both 25 years old. Disturbingly, it was revealed that the couple would frequently confine their infant daughter in a room, leaving her unattended for stretches of up to 10 hours while they slept, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Upon investigation, the state Department of Child Services intervened, taking the baby and other children in the household into protective custody. The investigation uncovered that the infant was not only severely malnourished but also suffered from poor hygiene, severe dermatitis, and developmental delays, painting a grim picture of neglect.

The parents confessed to the negligence, admitting that they were aware of their actions. They cited exhaustion from work as a reason for locking the baby away, hoping to catch up on sleep. This admission was part of a probable cause affidavit, which further revealed that the parents had repeatedly missed medical appointments critical to their daughter’s health. The child’s alarmingly low weight was attributed to what was described as a “lack of effort” on the part of the parents, as reported by Law&Crime.

A probable cause affidavit said the parents admitted they missed multiple doctor’s appointments for the girl and said that her significantly low weight “was due to lack of effort from mom and dad,” Law&Crime reported.

The parents were each charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of neglect of a dependent, the sheriff’s office said.

They are due in court on November 13.