A former Georgia Tech football star and his wife were denied the ability to see their 10 children while the pair is in jail on child cruelty and false imprisonment charges. But the children of Recardo and Therian Wimbush can write their parents a letter, a Gwinnett County judge ruled Wednesday.

The Buford couple was arrested in late June for allegedly locking their 13-year-old son in a basement room for two years, according to Gwinnett police. Recardo, 33, and Therian, 37, told investigators they had locked the teen in a basement room for "disciplinary reasons," Cpl. Jake Smith previously said. Both have been denied bond and are being held at the Gwinnett jail.

The Wimbushes have 10 children, three of which they had when married during their Georgia Tech days when Recardo was a football star and team captain in 2002. Therian was a tutor and earned dual degrees from Spelman College and Tech.

The couple asked to be granted contact with their children, but a therapist for the teenager, now 14, said it would not be in the boy’s best interest, Channel 2 Action News reported. The guardian ad litem for the children told the judge that all but two of the children have asked to see their parents.

“At this point, I’m not going to allow any visitation,” Judge Robert Rodatus said. “I will allow all the children to prepare a letter to their parents.”

The judge also ordered that both parents undergo a psychological evaluation, Channel 2 reported.

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres