(CNN) -- David Turpin, administrator and principal of a Southern California private school operated out of his home, gave it an inviting name: Sandcastle Day School.
The engineer started the school by simply filling out a Department of Education affidavit stating that his children were attending full-time. No more was required in California, and the state has no authority to monitor or inspect the school.
Turpin, 57, and his wife Louise, 49, were accused this week of holding their children captive in filthy conditions in their Perris home in Riverside County. They face charges of torture and child endangerment; bail was set at $9 million. It was not immediately clear whether they have an attorney.