Collin Gosselin claims to have been abused by his mother Kate Gosselin

Collin Gosselin claims he had a “difficult” childhood in a new interview with The sun.

On September 10, the Jon and Kate Plus 8 The 20-year-old former student made new allegations during the interview, claiming he was abused by his mother, Kate Gosselin, starting when he was eight or nine years old. He claimed he was locked up and “isolated” from his seven other siblings by Kate and that he was “the scapegoat” for his mother’s problems and often took “the rough end.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Kate and her attorney, Richard Puleo, for comment but has not heard back. Puleo said The sun that he did not believe Kate had done anything to “intentionally harm” her son and that “she did what she did to protect herself and her family” from what he called “troubling behavior.”

“My mother had a room built in our unfinished part of the basement,” he told the outlet. “She had a room built with cameras, a little window in the corner and it was locked from the outside. It was like a confinement room, literally, and there was a mattress on the floor and that’s how I lived.”

Collin claimed he was confined to his room most of the day. He eventually said he stopped going to school and “never really went out,” adding, “I never played with (my siblings). I was locked in there. It was literally lockdown.”

“My mother, on numerous occasions and most of the time, became physically aggressive, verbally, very abusive with the things that she said,” Collin alleged, saying their relationship was “very emotionally abusive” and that he “didn’t know how to do any better” as a child.

“When my mother put me in that room several times, she tied my hands and feet together with plastic ties and locked the door, turned off the lights and installed cameras to monitor me,” he said.

According to medical reports obtained by The sunCollin reported Kate’s alleged abuse to her counselor. Her father Jon Gosselin, with whom Kate also shares children Cara, Madelyn, Alexis, Aaden, Leah, Joel and Hannah, told the outlet that he was unaware of Collin’s alleged abuse until he won custody of Hannah.

When Jon and Kate finalized their divorce in 2009, Kate was granted custody of their children. In 2016, she sent Collin to Philadelphia’s Fairmount Behavioral Health System for what she previously called “unpredictable and violent behavior” when he was 12.

According to records, Collin has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder not otherwise specified and related disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and PTSD — all conditions he believes he was falsely diagnosed.

“It got to the point where word got out and child protective services were called,” Collin said. The sun Kate’s alleged abuse. “In her desperate attempt to protect herself, she put me in this institution without warning. One day, I was completely unconscious.”

Brandon Cwalina, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Children, Youth and Families, told PEOPLE they could not confirm or deny the allegations due to privacy concerns.

“Child safety is our top priority at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), and we are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of children across the Commonwealth,” Cwalina said. “In Pennsylvania, child welfare is a county-administered, state-supervised system; most child abuse investigations occur at the county level, and we work with our county partners to ensure that any potential abuse and neglect is investigated and addressed with urgency.”

During his 22-month stay at Fairmount, Collin recalled writing letters to his father in pencil, begging him to be his “savior” and get him out of the facility. Collin said he received no formal education while in treatment at Fairmount and spent his days “doing nothing…sleeping, waking up, eating.”

While a representative for Fairmount Behavioral Health System told PEOPLE they could not comment on specific patients or their care due to HIPAA patient privacy laws, they did share the following statement: “At Fairmount Behavioral Health System, our staff strives to provide a personalized, patient-centered treatment experience for each individual who comes to see us. The youth/adolescent patient experience includes group therapy, family therapy, allied therapy, and educational services. Fairmount Behavioral Health System is licensed and fully accredited by The Joint Commission. Situated on a 27-acre wooded campus, Fairmount Behavioral Health System is a peaceful, therapeutic environment for patients and families. Fairmount is an important regional resource for adolescents and adults who have psychiatric and behavioral issues.”

A rep for Jon Gosselin did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In 2018, Collin left the behavioral program at age 14, and Jon was granted custody of him and his sister Hannah. Both graduated high school in June 2023, and Collin spoke of his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine. He eventually enlisted and began boot camp before being discharged in August 2023.

A month before her release, Kate released a statement in response to allegations made by Jon and Collin in an episode of Vice TV. The dark side of the 2000s. In her statement, Kate claimed Collin was admitted to the facility because of his “multiple psychiatric diagnoses” and alleged he had previously been involved in an attack with a “weapon.”

“While this saddens me, I must speak out now,” she wrote, in part, at the time. “My son Collin, whom I love with all my heart, has received numerous psychiatric diagnoses over the years. For my safety, the safety of his siblings, and for his own well-being, he has been placed in a facility after years of outpatient treatment that proved inadequate for his needs.”

“Collin’s distorted perception of reality is one of the many issues he has struggled with all his life. As many people with family members who struggle with mental health issues can attest, it is rare and sadly surprising for outright lies to occur, and this is just another heartbreaking facet of that struggle,” she continued. “Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a great deal of help. His siblings and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of erratic behavior and violent tendencies toward us.”

Collin’s older sister, Madelyn, now 23, also shared a statement at the time, alleging that Collin had threatened her and her siblings with violence.

“I owe no allegiance to anyone who has physically threatened me or any member of my immediate family (some incidents as recent as last year). Furthermore, I will never allow someone who has exhibited hateful and even violent behavior toward others based on their racial identity, gender identity, or religious beliefs to be a part of my life,” she wrote on July 20, 2023.

She later said there was “no more discussion to be had about rebuilding relationships with anyone in my life after it reached the point of physical violence and hate speech. I can’t say more about why Collin did those things, I’m just saying I witnessed it.”

Jon responded to Kate’s statement, telling PEOPLE, “Regarding these brand new false accusations, it seems clear that even today, after not seeing her son since 6th grade, Kate is unable to control her abusive language toward him. Remember, a judge awarded temporary sole legal and physical custody of Collin to his father in 2018. Kate never even showed up in court and never spoke to Collin again. At this point, Collin is training to be a Marine to serve his country and is unable to respond to his mother’s callous lies.”

In his interview with The sunCollin said he believed his mother’s statements were the reason for his discharge. According to the outlet, after his post was made public, the Marines reportedly required Collin to undergo a psychiatric evaluation if he wanted to reenlist, and in October 2023, a doctor concluded that he did not meet the criteria for such a diagnosis.

“It’s very important because because of these allegations that she posted on social media, my dream of becoming a United States Marine was shattered and it was taken away from me and now I have to fight and do everything I can to achieve that dream,” Collin said. The sun“It is very important to put an end to these allegations and it is important for me, for her, to tell the truth, because I want nothing more than to serve my country.”

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In August 2024, a Marine Corps spokesperson told PEOPLE that “much of Collin’s file is protected by HIPAA,” but noted that “applicants are carefully vetted for their education, moral and physical qualifications during the enlistment application process.”

Prior to training, all candidates receive a medical evaluation by “an appropriate medical authority within the United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM),” the spokesperson said, adding that the evaluation is intended to “ensure the qualification, health and safety of individuals and the operational readiness of the Marine Corps.”

The spokesperson also noted that while these reviews “rely on the applicant’s disclosure of available medical information and records,” an applicant’s qualification could be reviewed by a medical authority “if new, potentially disqualifying information is disclosed after the applicant enters recruit training.”

“During recruit training, individuals may be discharged at any time if they fail to meet the mental, moral or physical standards of the Marine Corps,” the Marine Corps spokesman said.