A Sharp County, Ark. man is facing charges of false imprisonment and first degree endangering the welfare of a minor after allegedly chaining his 11-year-old daughter to a bed with a dog leash, according to KAIT.

Michael Gilman is said to have left his daughter tied for five weeks while her mother was in New York with a family member.

“Some of the behavior of this child, the family is claiming they can’t control, and a lot of what they did was for her safety,” Det. Sgt. Ken Guidry told KAIT. “However, chaining a child to a bed, we just can’t have that.”

The child had enough leash to go to the bathroom, the detective said to WMC-TV. She eventually called the authorities and Gilman. Was later arrested.

Guidry said the girl is now in protective custody.