Jennifer and Joseph Wolfthal (Seminole County Sheriff’s Office).
A couple from Florida who are children’s book authors have been given prison sentences for the shocking mistreatment and neglect of the three adopted children in their care. The abuse included causing ruptured sores, using a “whacker” to beat the children, and feeding them only a mix of cereal and vegetable puree.
Jennifer Wolfthal, aged 45, and Joseph Wolfthal, aged 43, entered guilty pleas on Monday for aggravated child abuse and neglect resulting in serious bodily harm to a child. Following the plea agreement, Jennifer Wolfthal was handed a 12-year prison term, while her husband received a 10-year sentence. The abuse was uncovered on New Year’s Day in 2021 when Joseph Wolfthal took one of the children to a hospital in Altamonte Springs, an Orlando suburb.
Medical staff promptly recognized the severe condition of the child and transferred her to a hospital with a specialized pediatric intensive care unit. The child was found to have a range of health issues, including a staph infection, sepsis, renal and liver failure, infected wounds on both legs, and pneumonia in both lungs, according to details in a probable cause affidavit submitted for their arrest. The sores on her right lower leg were infected and had burst, along with a chipped tooth, two black eyes, and a weight of just 40 pounds, far below a healthy level for her undisclosed age.
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Joseph Wolfthal tried to blame the girl’s injuries on falls and brushing her teeth “too hard,” but based on the girl’s height and weight, investigators determined it was unlikely she could inflict these injuries upon herself. Deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Wolfthal home where they found two other children in poor condition. They were removed from the home.
Two of the children were interviewed by investigators. Both described regular beatings at the hands of their adoptive parents. The Wolfthals would strike the kids with what they called a “whacker,” described as “being oblong and covered with fabric and was used regularly to deliver corporal punishment.” One of the kids also said that sometimes they were not allowed to eat until as late as 3 p.m., and when they were allowed to eat, food consisted of a mixture of cereal flakes, water and vegetable puree. Punishments, which the kids said occurred almost every night, also included exercises and writing sentences.
When cops searched the home they found over 1,100 written paragraphs that said “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.” Deputies also found 10 other phrases written multiple times.
The children are now living with another family. The 18th Judicial State Attorney’s Office released the following statement to Law&Crime about the plea:
“This plea and sentencing agreement ensures that the Wolfthals will spend significant time in prison while it protects the already-traumatized victims from the stress of having to testify,” the statement said. ” The State Attorney’s Office made sure law enforcement and the children’s new guardian supported this sentence before agreeing to it.”
Jennifer Wolfthal wrote a children’s book called A Real Friend, which remains on sale on Amazon for $6.32. Her biography described her own childhood.
“As a child, you would find her immersed in anything creative — drawing, dancing, and playing teacher with her stuffed animal students,” it reads.
The bio goes on to say she taught fourth grade for eight years before home schooling her own children. Her publisher, Clavis Publishing, denounced her after her arrest in a description of her book.
At Clavis, we believe that children are beautiful and deserve our utmost respect and care. That is why we publish books to enrich their lives and help them grow up learning to know themselves, how to interact with others in a good way and how the world works. We were made aware of horrific news regarding one-time, Clavis’ author Jennifer Wolfthal’s arrest and strongly condemn child abuse, abandonment and neglect, today and always. We will do what’s within our power to cease commercialization of her book further.
