A Florida children's author — known for writing stories about friendship — has been indicted alongside her husband Abuse and neglect Authorities said their children were adopted.
Jennifer Wolfthal, author of “A True Friend,” and her husband, Joseph Wolfthal, a Lockheed Martin engineer, pleaded guilty Jan. 13 to child abuse and neglect of a child with great bodily harm, according to plea agreements obtained. By Fox News Digital.
Jennifer Wolfthal will be sentenced to 12 years in prison, while her husband will be sentenced to 10 years, according to the plea agreement.
“The plea and sentencing agreement ensures that the Wolfthal family spends significant time in prison while protecting already traumatized victims from the stress of having to testify,” a court spokesman said. State Attorney's Office In the 18th Judicial District of Florida, he told Fox News Digital. “The State Attorney’s Office made sure that law enforcement and the children’s new guardian supported this sentence before approving it.”
The children's book author and her husband are accused of abusing their children
Joseph and Jennifer Wolfthal pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse and neglect of a child who suffered great bodily harm on January 13. (Seminole County Sheriff's Office)
The investigation into the couple began in 2021 after their 8-year-old adopted daughter was brought to the hospital due to organ failure, unconscious and Covered with injuries. The couple also had two other adopted children, a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old.
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“Given (the girl’s) height and weight, it is unlikely that the swollen bruise to the back of her head, the laceration to her lip, and the chipped teeth were caused by an unbalanced fall,” the police report said.
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Read Joseph Wolfthal's Plea Agreement: App Users Click here
While the girl was in the hospital, investigators visited her Family home They said they found two other children suffering from “symptoms of malnutrition, bruises and lack of care.”
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The police said that the children's bedrooms had door handles installed in reverse, and the locks were installed from the outside.
During additional searches of the home, authorities found more than 1,100 written paragraphs that said: “My body remains flat on the bed at all times. I was not given permission to move or say anything. Now I can write about this in addition to everything else.” “I'm an idiot.”
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Jennifer Wolfthal, author of a children's book called “A True Friend,” is scheduled to be sentenced to 12 years in prison. Her husband faces a 10-year prison sentence. (Amazon.com)
The book is still for sale on Amazon, but reviewers have filled the comments with links to news articles about the allegations against the author.
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The authorities also participated All three of the Wolfthals' adopted children were subjected to other horrific tales of abuse. After the investigation, the children were transferred to live with another family.
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Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
