A husband and wife in Sarasota, Fla., have been accused of child abuse after they allegedly told authorities that they routinely tied up and locked their 12-year-old daughter inside a playhouse.

In an affidavit cited by CBS-affiliate WTSP, the 5-by-7 foot playhouse was described by a detective as a “glorified cage.”

“She wasn’t allowed to leave the playhouse to use the restroom,” Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Giasone told WTSP. “She’d have to do all that inside.”

Police allege that Eugenio Erquiaga, a doctor, and his wife, Victoria, a lawyer, used zip ties to restrain the girl’s ankles and wrists before locking her inside the cramped enclosure for hours on end, according to WTSP.

The playhouse could be barred shut with a piece of wood, had most of its windows screwed shut and smelled of urine, according to CBS-affiliate WINK.

Police said the couple — who were arrested Wednesday — told investigators that their daughter was prone to violent outbursts and the restraints were used to protect the family’s six other children, according to WTSP. Police said the couple came up with the method of restraint recently, after seeing zip ties used in a television show featuring police.

The pair is facing aggravated child abuse charges