A couple in London, Ont., face charges of forcible confinement and failing to provide the necessaries of life after their 10-year-old nephew was found malnourished and locked in a bedroom of a house that police describe as "filthy" and "squalid."

Police said they found the boy locked in a bedroom that has an ensuite bathroom. Police believe the boy had been confined there for 18 months to two years.

The boy, who police say was underweight and suffering from malnutrition, was taken to hospital.

The room he was staying in had garbage and feces on the floor and bed. The bed and the boy's pajamas were soaked with urine, police said. He was confused when police removed him from the house. Police described him as underweight, quite pale and with long hair.

He has since been released from hospital and is in the care of the Children's Aid Society.

Anonymous tip

The boy was discovered after an anonymous tip to Children's Aid. An aid worker visited the house, but no one was home. She saw the silhouette of the boy through the curtain and called police.

London police update public on the 10-year-old child locked in a room for 18-24 months. (Michelle Cheung/CBC) Police said the boy has never been to school and speaks minimal English. He was not born in Canada, they believe. Hisbiological parents are not in Canada at the moment. Police are not releasing the boy's country of origin because it might identify him.

The couple facing charges have a biological child, a nine-year-old girl, who was also living in the house at the time. That child is also now in the care of Children's Aid. Police said there is no evidence that the couple's biological child was confined inside the house.

Police said the boy had access to a toilet and shower, but that the entire house was "filthy."

The boy was fed fast food twice a day, but not usually permitted to leave the room. Police suspect the boy may have been let out of the room briefly in 2013.

Police are not releasing the name of the couple charged to protect the identity of the children.

In a news release, police said they've had no previous dealings with the occupants of the house. However, in 2007 the Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex had "brief contact" with the family regarding another child who no longer lives in the home.