A Michigan couple has pleaded no contest to first-degree child abuse after locking their adopted children in dog cages and forcing them to wear makeshift straitjackets, according to the state's attorney general.
The abuse came to light in February 2024 when one of the children was admitted to hospital in Tennessee with severe dehydration and malnutrition. Doctors found the child severely underweight, having been fed only liquified food with supervised access.
A search of the couple's home in Wexford County uncovered the cages, straitjackets, and security alarms placed around the children's bedroom doors. Jason Klimp, 47, and Jessica Klimp, 45, had adopted four children alongside their four biological children.
The couple had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse in Tennessee and were sentenced to 10 years in prison before being extradited back to Michigan. Their parental rights have been terminated, and they will serve their sentences concurrently.
Jason Klimp is due to be sentenced on June 16, while Jessica's sentencing date is yet to be set. Attorney General Dana Nessel said: "Kids deserve to grow up in a loving home free from abuse. The cruelty that these children endured is heartbreaking, and while no outcome can erase the trauma, I hope these convictions will provide a sense of justice and healing."
