A Kentucky man was arrested after being accused of putting children in his basement as a punishment.

Joseph Hovious, the father of one of the children, was arrested for third-degree of criminal abuse.

A Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy was sent to a home on Kentucky 172 after receiving a child abuse report.

The deputy and a representative with Social Services spoke with the four children who were at the house. The children, who were between the ages of 4 and 8 years old, said Hovious would put them in the basement without the lights on, for punishment.

The children claimed that the door was closed and that they couldn’t use the bathroom when in the basement.

The children said they were scared of the dark and the rats in the basement, and that they cried wanting out.

The children said they were also told by Hovious that “Freddy Cougar” would get them.

Hovious refuted the children’s claims saying he never closed the door of the basement and only used the basement as a scare tactic.