EXCLUSIVE: Family of 'House of Horrors' captors David and Louise Turpin say they were 'blindsided' by claims the couple tortured and imprisoned their kids but are optimistic about the children's future

James Turpin, the father of 'House of Horrors' captor David Turpin, says he hopes to visit his 13 grandchildren in California
Turpin, 84, said that he has talked with some of the younger children but hoped to speak to the rest of the siblings soon
The children were allegedly abused, starved and imprisoned for years in their California home by their parents, David and Louise Turpin
David and Louise Turpin have pleaded not guilty to charges of torture, abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse and false imprisonment from 2010 until present
The couple were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and called 911 on a deactivated phone
Louise Turpin's uncle, James Taylor, said his family were blindsided by reports of the abuse that his great-nieces and nephews had suffered

By Louise Boyle In Princeton, West Virginia, For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:02 GMT, 15 March 2018 | Updated: 21:27 GMT, 15 March 2018

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The father of 'House of Horrors' captor David Turpin has revealed to DailyMail.com that he is optimistic about his grandchildren's recovery after their years of abuse, imprisonment and starvation.

'The children are doing just fine,' James Turpin said, adding that he had talked with some of the younger children but hoped to speak to the rest of the siblings soon.

Turpin, 84, who lives in the small town of Princeton, West Virginia, with his wife Betty, 81, said that he also hoped to visit his grandchildren in California.

The children, dubbed the 'Magnificent 13', were allegedly abused for years by their parents, David and Louise Turpin.

David Turpin, 57, and Louise, 48, have pleaded not guilty to charges of torture, abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse and false imprisonment from 2010 until present.

James Turpin, the father of 'House of Horrors' captor David Turpin said in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com that he hopes to visit his recovering grandchildren (pictured above at their parents' wedding) in California

Louise and David Turpin have pleaded not guilty to charges of torture, abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse and false imprisonment from 2010 until present

Additionally, Louise Turpin is facing a charge of felony assault and David Turpin is charged with one count of a lewd act on a child.

They are being held on $13 million bail and if convicted, they face up to life in prison.

The couple were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and called 911 on a deactivated cell phone.

Police discovered the 12 other siblings at the home amid the stench of human waste.

The seven adult children are recovering at Corona Regional Medical Facility while the six younger children have been split between two foster homes.

Louise Turpin's uncle, James Taylor, 67, also spoke with DailyMail.com at his home in Princeton and said his family were blindsided by reports of the abuse that his great-nieces and nephews had suffered.

The victims, who range in age from two to 29 years old, were chained to their beds as punishment.

When they were found, the oldest sibling weighed only 82lb. All of the children, besides the two year old, were malnourished and had to be hospitalized.

James Taylor said that his 93-year-old father, John Taylor, who 'gets on pretty good for his age', was aware of the accusations against his granddaughter and deeply troubled by them. Taylor said that he was close to Louise's mother, Phyllis Robinette, before she passed away in February 2016 at the age of 66

David and LouiseTurpin have been married since Louise was 16. She eloped with David Turpin after he signed her out of school and drove them to Texas. The couple was caught and returned to their hometown to wed. Above they are seen in their wedding photo in Princeton, West Virginia in 1984

Teresa Robinette says her sister had never 'had never drunk a beer or smoked a cigarette or done a drug' in her whole life. 'Pictured: Louise (top right) with her mother Phyllis, (left) her father, sisters Teresa (on father’s lap) and Elizabeth (bottom right)

Her mom, the wife of a preacher, allowed Louise to date David Turpin secretly. Above she is pictured as a 7th-grader (left) and with her sister Elizabeth (right)

Louise as a teenager (second from left) with sister Elizabeth (left), mother Phyllis, sister Teresa and father Wayne

The mother of 13 had told her brother Billy, who was the last to speak to her before her arrest, that she wanted another child. She is pictured left while pregnant with her youngest daughter and right after she gave birth

'Everybody is shocked that this even happened,' Taylor said. 'What made them do it? I wouldn't treat an animal like that.'

He said that his 93-year-old father, John Taylor, who 'gets on pretty good for his age', was aware of the accusations against his granddaughter and deeply troubled by them.

'He doesn't talk about it much,' he added.

Taylor said that it had been a 'few years' since Louise Turpin brought some of her children to West Virginia to meet family.

'I haven't seen her in so long, we lost contact. It was years ago that she lived here. She ran off with David and got married when she was 14 or 15,' he said.

'She didn't even come to my mom and my sister's funeral. I thought that was kind of strange. But if they had those kids all chained up that's probably why they didn't come.'

Taylor said that he was close to Louise's mother, Phyllis Robinette, before she passed away in February 2016 at the age of 66.

Taylor said that he believed Louise spoke to her on a daily basis.

The couple were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and called 911 on a deactivated phone

Evidence against the couple includes videos, audio recordings and physical evidence of the years of abuse

The Turpins' seven adult children are recovering at Corona Regional Medical Facility. Louise Turpin is pictured above with one of her 13 children

The Turpins' six younger children have been split between two foster homes. Louise Turpin is pictured above with one of her 13 children

'When I would go down and see Phyllis, a lot of the time she would be on the phone with them,' Taylor said. 'They called my sister and she called them about every night.

'Phyllis planned on going down there [to California] but they kept making excuses. I see why now.'

He said his sister never knew about the abuse. 'I seen my sister about every day, she lived nearby. I don't even know how long this has been going on.'

Taylor said he was particularly shocked because he believed that David Turpin was educated and had a high-paying job, giving the impression that he was taking good care of his family.

The great-uncle said that he had not spoken to any of his great-nieces and nephews but was relieved to hear that they were being well cared for.

'I had a hard time dealing with the details but then I saw on the news that they were getting money and clothes,' he said. Fundraising efforts have netted hundreds of thousands of dollars for the siblings.

He said that the family who still lived in West Virginia would welcome the children with open arms should they ever want to visit.

'I would love to see them,' Taylor said.

The lawyers representing the seven adult Turpin children say they continue to recover from their years of abuse and are enjoying new freedoms including playing sports, listening to music and watching movies.

The lawyers representing the seven adult Turpin children say they continue to recover from their years of abus

The adult children are enjoying new freedoms including playing sports, listening to music and watching movies

The younger children are being introduced to experiences other children may take for granted - like toothbrushes, Harry Potter and iPads.

A preliminary hearing for the Turpins' trial is set for May 14.

Evidence against the couple includes videos, audio recordings and physical evidence of the years of abuse.

Last week, it emerged that the 17-year-old girl who had escaped from the home had shared videos of herself singing on YouTube.

The teen, who posted the clips under an alias, revealed the squalid conditions inside the home as a result.

In one clip, obtained by GMA, a huge pile of dirty clothes are seen in the corner of the room.

She was also seen playing with two small dogs - which were found well-fed and in good health by rescuers, in stark contrast to the condition of the children.

Louise Turpin's sister, Teresa Robinette, and brother, Billy Lambert, shared more details of the life of their sister and her husband in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com last month.