FAYETTE COUNTY — A Vandalia couple has pleaded guilty in Fayette County court to unlawful restraint in connection with an incident in July.

The couple, 35-year-old Nicholas Arndt and 35-year-old Crystal Arndt admitted to locking three different children in an interior room of their residence for more than 7 hours. The room was locked from the outside, with the window nailed, and a board nailed over the window.

Nicholas Arndt was sentenced to 18 months in prison on the unlawful restraint conviction.

He also pleaded guilty to felony failure to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on that conviction.

Crystal Arndt was sentenced to 24 months of probation, and was ordered to have no contact with minor children.