A Middletown couple accused of locking their 12-year-old daughter in the basement have been sentenced to three years probation.

Shawn, 40, and Joanna Blackston, 27, were found guilty last month of misdemeanor child endangering. They faced up to six months each in prison.

Visiting Judge Matthew Crehan also ordered the Blackstons to attend parenting classes, pay support orders and court costs. He also said the pair must obtain full-time employment.

The couple declined comment after the sentencing.

Assistant Prosecutor Josh Muennich said Tuesday’s sentencing was “a fair decision.”

Four children — ages 2, 4, 10 and 14 — were placed in legal custody of their grandparents Dec. 10 by a visiting judge for Butler County Juvenile Court.

A custody hearing for three of Shawn Blackston’s children, including the 12-year-old and a 15-year-old who made similar allegations of abuse after she was removed from the home after a domestic violence incident, is scheduled for Jan. 30.

The case came to light when an anonymous complaint reported a girl was locked in the basement. Butler County Children Services investigated on July 3 and based on what was found called the Middletown police. Six of the couple’s eight children in their blended family were living at the home in July were removed and placed into foster care.

The case brought an outcry from Butler County Commissioners and prompted several departmental changes in Children Services, including caseworker suspensions and former Children Services director Jeff Centers lost his job.