NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- A couple charged with forcing some of their 11 special needs children to sleep in cages worked under difficult circumstances to provide a loving family environment, a defense attorney said Tuesday in closing arguments.

But Huron County Prosecutor Russell Leffler argued that having difficult children "doesn't mean you put children in cages or boxes."

Sharen and Michael Gravelle are charged with eight counts each of felony child endangering, misdemeanor child abuse and misdemeanor child endangering.

The endangering charges accuse the couple of putting the children at a substantial risk of mental health impairment.

"They were cruel to children," Leffler said. "The Gravelles aren't good parents. They never have been."

Attorney Ken Myers, representing Sharen Gravelle, wire and wooden enclosures were used because of intolerable behavior by the children.

"They were urinating and defecating all over the house," he said.

Sharen Gravelle repeatedly shook her head side-to-side as the prosecutor spoke. Michael Gravelle leaned back holding his chin in his right hand.

The Gravelles, who lost custody of the children in March, face one to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 for each felony count if convicted.

Richard Drucker, who represents Michael Gravelle, was scheduled to give his closing argument after a lunch break. Then the prosecution gets a rebuttal before jurors begin deliberating.

yes, i've watched this news since the day it happened. the pictures of these cages are awful. it makes me sick.

Me too.

Me too.

That's totally messed up.

It really is messed up. Can you imagine the years of therapy that these kids are going to have to go through to heal from this abuse? I can see that 5-10 years down the road, they would come to TTL and seek help. Their story would be so incredibly difficult to hear and help them through. I hope they find peace long before then.