The California parents accused of torturing and imprisoning 12 of their children will appear in court Wednesday as prosecutors ask a judge to prohibit them from contacting their kids.

The proceeding comes amid reports that David and Louise Turpin were apparently close to avoiding arrest earlier this month.

Several sources told ABC News that the Turpins were planning to move from California to Oklahoma just “days” prior to their arrest, because of David’s pending job transfer at defense contractor Northrop Grumann.

"There were boxes in the house consistent with moving –- concentrated in hallways, entryway and bedrooms,” one source told ABC News.

"There were boxes in the house consistent with moving –- concentrated in hallways, entryway and bedrooms.” — ABC News source

Sheriff's deputies arrested the husband and wife after their 17-year-old daughter climbed out a window of their filthy Perris, Calif., home and called 911 using a deactivated cellphone Jan. 14.

It was unclear if the teen decided to attempt the escape because of her parents’ impending move.

Perris is in Riverside County, about 71 miles east of Los Angeles.

The court proceeding is the latest step as authorities seek to sever ties between the Turpins and their 13 children, between ages 2 and 29. They have pleaded not guilty to torture, abuse and other charges.

Riverside County prosecutors are seeking a protective order that would prohibit the Turpins from having any contact with their children, district attorney's office spokesman John Hall said.

Police say they found three of the children shackled to beds when they arrived at the home. Almost all of the children were reportedly malnourished, with the 29-year-old weighing only 82 pounds.

Neighbors and relatives said they were unaware of the children's treatment until authorities arrested the parents and revealed what they found inside.

The Riverside University Health System Foundation, which is collecting money for the siblings, so far has received 1,500 donations totaling $120,000, spokeswoman Kim Trone said.

In a heart-wrenching Facebook post, a former classmate of the oldest Turpin sibling recalled that she was picked on as a grade school student in Texas.

Taha Muntajibuddin, who attended kindergarten through third grade with her in Fort Worth, Texas, described her as "a frail girl, had pin-straight hair with bangs, and often wore the same purple outfit."

He wrote that it was jarring to learn that the girl, who was teased in school for being smelly, "quite literally had to sit in her own waste because she was chained to her bed."

Muntajibuddin said he is hopeful his former classmate can recover and lived an enriched life.

He said despite being bullied by her peers, she "was still one of the most pleasant people I have had the opportunity to meet.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.