A shocking case of child abuse has landed a Florida children’s book author and her husband in prison for the abuse and neglect of their three adoptive children. Jennifer Wolfthal, 45, and her husband, Joseph Wolfthal, 43, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated child abuse and neglect of a child causing great harm. The disturbing details of their actions have left many horrified.
Jennifer, who once wrote a children’s book called A Real Friend, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while her husband received a 10-year sentence. The abuse was uncovered on New Year’s Day in 2021 when Joseph brought one of the children to a hospital in Altamonte Springs, near Orlando. The girl was in terrible condition—she had a staph infection, sepsis, liver and kidney failure, infected sores on her legs, pneumonia in both lungs, and weighed only 40 pounds, which doctors said was extremely underweight for her age. Her specific age wasn’t mentioned in reports, but her condition alarmed medical staff, who quickly transferred her to a hospital with a pediatric intensive care unit.
Joseph tried to explain the girl’s injuries by claiming she fell or brushed her teeth too hard. However, investigators determined it was nearly impossible for the girl to have caused such severe injuries to herself. Deputies from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office then visited the Wolfthal home, where they found two more children in poor health. All three kids were immediately removed from the home.
When interviewed, the children revealed heartbreaking stories about their lives with the Wolfthals. They described being regularly beaten with an object they called a “whacker,” which was oblong, covered in fabric, and used to punish them. Food was scarce, and they were often not allowed to eat until the afternoon. When they did eat, their meals consisted of a strange mix of cereal flakes, water, and vegetable puree. Punishments were a daily occurrence, often involving intense exercises or being forced to write sentences repeatedly.
During a search of the house, authorities found over 1,100 written paragraphs of sentences like, “My body stays flat on the bed at all times. I was never given permission to move or say anything else. Now I get to write about this along with everything else. I’m a fool.” Ten other similar phrases were found written multiple times.
The children are now living with a new family. In a statement, the State Attorney’s Office said the plea deal ensures that the Wolfthals will spend significant time in prison without forcing the already-traumatized kids to testify. The children’s new guardians supported the sentencing decision.
Jennifer’s publisher, Clavis Publishing, strongly condemned her actions after her arrest. They announced plans to stop selling her book, A Real Friend, and distanced themselves from her. Clavis stated, “At Clavis, we believe that children are beautiful and deserve our utmost respect and care. We strongly condemn child abuse, abandonment, and neglect, today and always.”
Jennifer’s biography on Amazon paints a starkly different picture of her life, describing her as a creative child who loved drawing, dancing, and playing pretend. It also mentioned her eight years as a fourth-grade teacher before she began homeschooling her children. Her book is still listed for sale on Amazon for $6.32.
This heartbreaking case has left many shocked and saddened, but it also highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable children and holding abusers accountable.
