GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two scientists employed by the University of Florida were arrested last week after it was revealed that they locked their children in cages while they went to work, Gainesville police said.
Dustin Huff, 35, and Yurui Xie, 31, are facing felony charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect.
According to the couple's arrest reports, their 6-year-old son told the Florida Department of Children and Families that he didn't want to go home because his father built a cage to lock him in while his mother was at work.
Police described the homemade cage as a large, un-sanded wooden enclosure made of pressure-treated 2x4s. It measured about 6 feet by 7 inches in length, 4 feet by 10 inches in width, and 3 feet by 11 inches in height. The enclosure door had a pair of barrel bolts on the outside.
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During his DCF interview, the boy said he was placed in the enclosure at night and remained there until it was time to go to school the next morning. The boy also said he's made to wear diapers at night.
It was also discovered that the couple's other child was kept in a cage in the master bathroom closet.
Police said the boy claimed he "didn't want anyone to get in trouble."
"I just didn't want to be in the cage," he said, according to the reports.
The University of Florida has placed the couple on administrative leave.