Oklahoma: Mother of 12 arrested on child neglect charges living in a house infested with bedbugs

Pregnant mother of 12, Kodi Faircloth was arrested after she and her four children were found by police living in squalid conditions.

Court documents allege that methamphetamine was buried in the garden, while the home had no running water and there was what appeared to be human fecal matter in the bathroom and the corner of one room.

Faircloth allegedly told police that she had thrown the mattresses out of the house because they were full of bedbugs, according to Tulsa World.

Faecal matter also appeared to be spread across several mirrors in the home.

Child protective services took custody of the four children who were staying at the home. Large amounts of garbage was piled high, with exposed electrical wires posing a dangerous hazard for the children.

The Department of Human Services had investigated Fairlcoth more than 33 times previously.

Neither Tulsa police Detective Aubrey Thompson, who is leading the investigation, nor DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell could verify the locations or custody arrangements of the other eight children.

Powell said she could not comment on this particular case and that it is not unusual for parents to have multiple interactions with DHS Child Protective Services, the police and the courts.

"Sadly, some of these families have histories that include generations of involvement," Powell said.

Faircloth's children have been in and out of state custody throughout their lives, according to the affidavit.

The 38-year-old mother was arrested in 2013 on charges of violating the Compulsory Education Act, which requires parents to compel their children to go to school or provide other means of education.

Faircloth is currently being held at the Tulsa County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

She is due to appear in court on Thursday.

Poverty in the county is as high as it was in the depths of the depression, said a spokesman for the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

"Politicians like to talk about our low unemployment, but it's clear that a huge number of families are working hard but not getting ahead," said Gene Perry, Director of Policy for the non-profit.

"As long as we continue to block minimum wage increases, underfund education and refuse billions in federal funds to expand health coverage, it's not going to get any easier to move up the economic ladder."