A Tennessee mother and father are heading to prison for a decade after pleading guilty to aggravated child abuse and neglect concerning their two adopted daughters.
Jason Klimp, 45, and Jessica Klimp, 43, were sentenced to 10 years behind bars on Monday after entering guilty pleas, as reported by the 8th Judicial District Attorney General.
The shocking case in Fentress County came to light in February 2024 when first responders were called to the Klimp home after one of the adopted children, a 12-year-old girl, collapsed. Due to her severe malnutrition and stunted growth, paramedics initially believed she was only 6 to 8 years old. She was found with a dangerously low body temperature and discolored skin and was ultimately airlifted to a hospital.
Investigators determined that the girl and her biological sister were both malnourished and underdeveloped. The 12-year-old told police that she and her sister were forced to eat from a bottle because their parents claimed they “eat too much and would get sick.”
Additionally, police learned the two girls were forced to sleep on plastic totes in a cold, 60-degree basement without blankets as punishment for wetting the bed, according to arrest warrants.
A total of eight children—four adopted and four biological—were living in the home. The Klimps are now prohibited from having contact with the two victims.
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