Children’s author jailed for hurting adopted kids


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A Florida children’s book author and her husband have admitted to horrific acts of abuse against their adopted children, leading to lengthy prison sentences for the couple.

Jennifer Wolfthal, who wrote the children’s book “A Real Friend,” and her spouse Joseph Wolfthal, employed as an engineer at Lockheed Martin, entered guilty pleas for aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm on January 13.

The court agreements stipulate that Jennifer will serve 12 years in prison, while Joseph faces a 10-year sentence. Officials from the State Attorney’s Office explained that this arrangement would prevent the traumatized children from having to testify while ensuring substantial prison time for the perpetrators.

The couple’s crimes came to light in 2021 when their adopted 8-year-old daughter was rushed to the hospital unconscious, suffering from organ failure and multiple injuries. The severity of her wounds, including a swollen bruise on her head, a split lip, and broken tooth, led investigators to doubt the couple’s explanation of accidental falls.

A subsequent home investigation revealed two more adopted children, ages 9 and 11, also showing signs of abuse and malnutrition. Inside the residence, authorities discovered a disturbing setup where children’s bedroom doors had locks installed on the outside.

In a chilling discovery, investigators found over 1,100 handwritten paragraphs containing the same haunting message: “My body stays flat on the bed at all times. I was never given permission to move or say anything. Now I get to write about this along with everything else. I am a fool.”

The investigation uncovered additional instances of abuse affecting all three adopted children, who have since been placed with a different family. Meanwhile, Wolfthal’s book remains available on Amazon, where reviewers have begun sharing news coverage of the author’s crimes in the comments section.