David and Louise Turpin, the parents of the 13 children who were found starved, abused, and shackled to beds in California, have been sentenced to 25 years to life today.

The couple, aged 57 and 50, were charged with 12 counts of torture, 7 counts of abuse of a dependent, 6 counts of child abuse, 12 counts of false imprisonment - and one count of a lewd act on a child against David.

The Turpin children were rescued after one of the siblings, aged 17, made a daring escape from the family home in Perris, California and called police using a deactivated mobile phone. She was so malnourished that authorities believed she was around 10-years-old.

Two of the couple's adult children, Jennifer and Joshua, read victim impact statements at the trial, publicly speaking on the case for the first time since being freed in January of 2018.

In an emotional testimony, Jennifer said, "My parents took my whole life from me but now I'm taking my life back."

Jennifer is now living independently and attending university.

Accompanied by an emotional support dog, Jennifer continued, "I believe everything happens for a reason. Life may have been bad, but it made me strong. I fought to become the person I am. I'm a fighter, I'm strong and I'm shooting through life like a rocket."

Other Turpin children had submitted written statements asking for leniency for their parents and offering their forgiveness.

Although the couple had originally pleaded not guilty, they've accepted a plea deal that stipulated a sentence of 25 years to life in prison at Riverside County Superior Court.

The plea agreement assured that the parents pleaded guilty to one count per child, and spared the children from having to recount their abuse in court.

Louise Turpin apologised to her children, saying "I'm sorry for everything I've done to my children. I love my children so much, I'm blessed to be the mother of each one of them. Their happiness is very important to me."

"I want them to know mom and dad are going to be okay. I believe God has a special plan for each of them... I love them more than they could ever imagine."

Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Show all 15 1 /15 Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David and Louise Turpin with their 13 children who were being held captive by their parents in the family home in Perris, California. Facebook Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin speaks during a press conference announcing charges against David Turpin and Louise Turpin in relation to their 13 malnourished children found chained in their home, in Riverside. The two parents were charged with multiple counts of Child abuse, torture, abuse of dependent adults and false imprisonment and could face close to 100 years to life in prison if convicted. EPA Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents The home of David Allen and Louise Anna Turpin, where some of their children were bound with chains and padlocks. Reuters Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David Allen Turpin poses for a mugshot after being arrested. Riverside County Sheriffs Department via Getty Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents One of the captives, a 17-year-old girl, escaped over the weekend and notified the Riverside Sheriff’s Department. Facebook/David-Louise Turpin Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Perris residents watch as media gather in front of Turpin family home. The Sheriff's deparmtent said "the parents were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner." AFP/Getty Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents The children were found in dark and foul-smelling surroundings and "The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty,” the department said. Facebook/David-Louise Turpin Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Neighbours stand outside the home. Getty Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Louise Anna Turpin poses for a mugshot after being arrested. Not all of their victims were children: of the 13 victims, seven were between the age of 18 and 29, according to the Sheriff's Department. Riverside County Sheriffs Department via Getty Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David and Louise Turpin in 2015. Authorities arrested them on torture and child endangerment charges, setting bail at $9m (£6.5m) apiece. Facebook/David-Louise Turpin Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David Turpin and Louise Turpin appear in court for their arraignment in Riverside Reuters Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David Allen Turpin and his wife, Louise Anna Turpin celebrate a renewal of their wedding vows with Elvis impersonator Kent Ripley in Las Vegas in 2011 A Elvis Chapel via AP Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents David Allen Turpin appears in court for his arraignment in Riverside. Prosecutors filed 12 counts of torture, seven counts of dependent adult abuse, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment against Turpin and his wife, Louise Anna Turpin. The Press-Enterprise via AP Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Neighbour Liza Tozier, and her son, Avery Sanchez, 6, drop off his large "Teddy" as a gift for the children. AP Turpin family: 13 siblings who were held captive by their parents Louise Turpin appears in court for her arraignment in Riverside. Authorities say the abuse left the children malnourished, undersized and with cognitive impairments. Reuters

The children, whose ages ranged from two to 29, were forced to live in dangerous and dirty conditions.

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12 of the 13 were malnourished, sexually abused, and physically abused. They were only permitted to shower once annually, and were often shackled to their beds as punishment for weeks, sometimes months, only occasionally being freed to use the bathroom.

The parents, while starving the children and feeding them one meal per day, would tempt the children with sweets and new toys that they would face punishment for touching.