Teen Who Escaped Horror House Reportedly Posted Videos on YouTube

The 17-year-old girl who escaped the “House of Horrors” in Perris, California, had a secret YouTube channel which has just been unearthed, providing the first glimpse into the life these children endured.

David and Louise Turpin were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped their house and called police. She informed authorities that she and her siblings were being held against their will, starved, tortured, and even prevented from bathing. She told them that the 13 Turpin children, ranging in age from 2 to 29 years old, were often chained to their beds as punishment, and were never allowed to set foot outside.

Since the arrest, the public has only gotten a few sparse glimpses of life inside the “House of Horrors” through crime scene photos, but the 17-year-old’s YouTube videos are offering a new perspective.

Somehow, the rebellious daughter was uploading videos of herself singing a number of original songs on YouTube. She made the posts under an alias, but according to a report by CBS New Los Angeles, authorities have positively identified her. The outlet published some clips from the videos, though they obscured the singer’s face as she is still underage. It’s unclear whether the full catalogue of videos still exists online.

The videos are all taken in front of a white door. In them, the daughter appears clean, and is often wearing bright red lipstick with bows in her hair. One video even shows her playing with one of the family’s dogs, and when she pans away from the door, a grimy carpet and an enormous pile of soiled clothes comes into view.

David and Louise have been charged with multiple counts of torture, false imprisonment and child abuse. The couple, ages 56 and 49 respectively, have pled not guilty to all the charges.

Meanwhile, their children are adjusting to life outside of captivity. Six of the Turpins are still minors, and they’ve been split between two foster homes. They are reportedly doing well, and maintaining contact with each other and their older sibling through Skype. Some of them reportedly had to be taught how to brush their teeth.

Meanwhile, the adult children of the Turpins are still in a medical center in Corona, California, where the staff has converted a section of the hospital into a suite to help them learn to live independent lives.