In Indiana, a young couple faces serious charges after allegedly neglecting their infant daughter, who reportedly suffered from starvation and neglect. The parents, Benjamin Joseph Tackett and Kayla Therese Thompson, both 25, were apprehended on Wednesday. They face two counts each of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, along with additional charges of neglect of a dependent, according to local authorities.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office reported that the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) alerted detectives to a suspected case of child neglect involving an 8-month-old girl. This prompted a thorough investigation into the troubling allegations.

During the investigation, detectives discovered the infant was severely malnourished and exhibited signs of neglect related to hygiene, severe dermatitis, and developmental delays. Shockingly, the child weighed only about 9 pounds at eight months old, as stated in the sheriff’s office release.

Authorities also noted the presence of several other children in the household. These children have since been relocated to “appropriate caregivers” for their safety. The family’s residence is located on the 3300 block of Rothshire Circle in North Vernon, approximately 65 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

In their investigation, detectives consulted with various doctors and DCS caseworkers, conducting numerous interviews with the household’s other children before speaking with Tackett and Thompson.

During post-Miranda interviews with the parents, both Tackett and Thompson allegedly “admitted to knowingly neglecting the child,” police said.

“Benjamin and Kayla advised detectives during interviews that they were tired after work, and at times locked the child in a separate bedroom for approximately 10 hours at a time so they could sleep,” the release states. “At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives requested an arrest warrant for Benjamin Tackett and Kayla Thompson.”

A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime provided additional details about the case, including previous DCS reports involving the victim’s “severe malnourishment, hygiene issues, and developmental delays attributed to caregiver neglect without underlying medical causes.”

The couple allegedly admitted to missing multiple medical appointments for their daughter and conceded that her weight “was due to lack of effort from mom and dad.”

Neither Tackett nor Thompson has previously been charged with a crime in Indiana, court records show.

The mother and father were both booked and processed into the Jennings County Jail and are currently scheduled to appear in court before Circuit Judge Murielle S. Bright on Nov. 13.