A Florida children's author known for writing about friendship, Jennifer Wolfthal, and her husband, Joseph Wolfthal, pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and neglect of their adopted children. The couple faces significant prison sentences after their adopted daughter was hospitalized with organ failure and injuries. Authorities discovered that the children were subjected to physical and emotional abuse, living in a home with locked bedrooms and signs of malnutrition.
A Florida children's author, renowned for her stories about friendship, found herself facing serious charges alongside her husband for the alleged abuse and neglect of their adopted children. Jennifer Wolfthal, the creator of the book 'A Real Friend,' and her husband, Joseph Wolfthal , an engineer employed by Lockheed Martin, admitted guilt on January 13 to aggravated child abuse and child neglect causing great bodily harm, according to plea agreements obtained by Fox News Digital.
As part of the agreement, Jennifer Wolfthal will be sentenced to 12 years in prison, while her husband will serve a 10-year sentence behind bars. The State Attorney's Office in Florida's 18th judicial circuit released a statement emphasizing that this plea and sentencing agreement guarantees significant prison time for the Wolfthals while safeguarding the already traumatized victims from the added stress of testifying in court. The statement further clarifies that the State Attorney's office collaborated with law enforcement and the children's new guardian to ensure their support for the agreed-upon sentence.The investigation into the couple's alleged actions commenced in 2021 after their then 8-year-old adopted daughter was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. The child was found unconscious, with organ failure and multiple injuries. The family also had two other adopted children, aged 9 and 11. A police report highlights the severity of the 8-year-old's injuries, noting that the extent and location of the bruises and laceration suggest they were not caused by accidental falls. During a search of the family home, investigators encountered the other children, who displayed symptoms of malnutrition, bruises, and a general lack of care. The children's bedrooms were discovered to have doorknobs installed backwards, with the locks situated outside, further raising concerns about their well-being. Authorities also uncovered over 1,100 written paragraphs, seemingly penned by one of the children, detailing accounts of physical and emotional abuse. These chilling entries describe a desperate plea for help, revealing the horrific reality the children endured within their own home. The book, 'A Real Friend,' is still available for purchase on Amazon, but it has become a target of scrutiny with reviewers leaving comments linking to news articles about the allegations against the author. Following the investigation, all three adopted children were removed from the Wolfthals' care and placed with a new family
CHILD ABUSE ADOPTED CHILDREN FLORIDA JENNIFER WOLFTHAL JOSEPH WOLFTHAL LOCKHEED MARTIN PRISON SENTENCE
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