The parents of Charlie Bothuell V, the 12-year-old Detroit boy who was reported missing and was found in his basement last year, are facing charges of torture as well as second-degree child abuse for alleged abuse of Charlie, NBC News reports.
Charles Bothuell IV, his father, and Monique Dillard-Bothuell, his stepmother, could face up to life in prison if they are convicted on the torture charge. The child-abuse charge carries a maximum of four years, the news site notes.
"We are thankful that the victim was found alive," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement, according to NBC. "Based upon the allegations, if any case warrants child-torture charges, this one certainly does."
Prosecutors claim that the couple did not feed the young boy, who was gaunt when he was found, and forced him to live in the basement.
One court petition claimed that the young boy was forced to do hundreds of pushups, situps and jumping jacks, as well as 25 curls on each arm and a routine on the elliptical machine. If the young child didn't finish the grueling workout within an hour, he had to start over. That same petition also claimed that young Charlie was often hit with a PVC pipe.
Read more at NBC News.