ARIZONA, United States (AP) — A couple arrested in the alleged imprisonment of three girls in filthy conditions in a Tucson house made initial court appearances Wednesday on charges of kidnapping and child abuse.

Tucson police said the girls are sisters — ages 12, 13 and 17 — and their mother and stepfather were arrested Tuesday.

A judge on Wednesday set bail of $100,000 for the stepfather and $75,000 for their mother. They face multiple counts of kidnapping and child abuse and the man also faces one count of sexual abuse.

The brief court appearances made by video did not include entering pleas, and it’s not immediately clear whether the 34-year-old man and 32-year-old woman have attorneys. The Associated Press is not naming the adults to avoid identifying the children.

Tucson Police Captain Michael Gillooly said Tuesday at a news conference that all three girls were malnourished and dirty, and they told officers they hadn’t taken a bath in up to six months.

“They were kept in filthy living conditions,” said Gillooly, adding that the two youngest girls were kept in a separate bedroom from their 17-year-old sister.

The girls also told authorities that they were fed only once daily and had been imprisoned in their bedrooms for at least the past several months and possibly up to two years.

Police went to a home on reports of a domestic violence incident about 4:00 am Tuesday, according to Gillooly.

The two youngest girls told officers that they ran to a neighbour’s home after their stepfather kicked in the door and threatened them with a knife. The unidentified neighbour called 911.

When officers went into the house, Gillooly said they found the oldest girl in another bedroom.

Gillooly declined to answer any questions about the case. More information was expected to be released Wednesday.

A resident who has lived in the neighbourhood for about five years told the Arizona Daily Star that she didn’t know anyone was living in the home, which is set back from the street.

The woman said there was no visible activity at the house, but other neighbours had told her that they had heard what sounded like children playing inside the house at night.

The Star reported that police removed plastic bags containing evidence from the home and what appeared to be a computer.