An Old Saybrook woman is accused of making her son sleep in a locked dog crate because he was acting out and soiling his bed.

Police started investigating Kathlyn Anthony, 54, after the boy’s sister said at school that she was tired because she kept getting up at night to let her brother out of his "sleep locker."

School officials called police, who learned that the “sleep locker” was a 30-inch-high 36-inch-by-22-inch crate that the family had used to hold cats, police told the Day of New London.

Anthony is accused of keeping her son in the crate for about two weeks, the Day reports.

"(S)he started using the dog crate as a way of - and I don't want to say punishment - but that's where he slept at night," Sgt. Kevin Roche told the Day.

According to the warrant, the boy would have to take a cold shower when he misbehaved or urinated in his room. When he was worse, Anthony would put him in the cold basement to cry so that the neighbors would not hear, according to the warrant.

Anthony was arrested on Sunday, charged with risk of injury to a minor and released on $100,000 bond after an initial court appearance on Monday.

Anthony told police she had been seeking outside help for the boy's behavior. She also used home therapy methods like Lego builidng class, a family trip to Disney, kayaking, a "feelings" chart and various breathing and restorative exercises, according to the warrant.

She refused to comment outside court.

Police didn't disclose the boy's age, but said Anthony had adopted him.