Shackled to their own beds, the 13 children were denied food, basic hygiene and medical care and were punished for perceived infractions such as washing their hands above the wrist.
Six of the children are minors, including the 17-year-old girls who police initially believed to be 10, and seven were over the age of 18.
Authorities say they had previously never received a single report about the family, and neighbours say they had never seen any of the 13 children playing in the street or in the garden.
Now California politician Jose Medina lashed out at home-schooling, claiming the abuse would have been found out much sooner if there were regulations around teaching your children in your own home,
He told the Telegraph: “What happened in the city of Perris was tragic, and it was horrific.
“And I would like to try to do everything I can to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Aged between two and 29, most of the children except the eldest had been exclusively home-schooled – which, under California law, means there was no outside contact and no overriding body to ensure rules and regulations are met.
Mr Medina said: “One of the reasons this went undetected was because the parents could keep the children hidden from the public.
“So I’m looking at what the state can do so that kids can no longer be kept in captivity.”
Mr Medina’s constituency includes the small town of Perris, where last week the Turpin family parents were arrested and charged with torture, child abuse and imprisonment.
The husband was also charged with a single count of lewd conduct with a child.
The couple pleaded not guilty to all charges during a brief hearing before Judge Michael Donner, who ordered each defendant to remain held on $12 million bail and set the next hearing in the case for February 23.
Mr Turpin registered his home as an educational institution – which he ironically named the Sandcastle Day School – in 2011.
He sent off the required paperwork every year, but little other information is required by the state – meaning the abuse went uncovered for year.
Mr Medina has now begun drafting legislation to give greater oversight of home-schooled children, in a bid to prevent a repeat of the horrors of the 13 children imprisoned in his district.
A spokesman for the California Department of Education said in a statement: “We are sickened by this tragedy and relieved the children are now safe and authorities are investigating.
“Private schools are required to register with the state to record their students’ exemption from compulsory attendance at public schools.
“Under current California law, the CDE does not approve, monitor, inspect, or oversee private schools.”