Couple accused of starving and restraining adopted children face sentencing after abuse pleas
Authorities said two adopted children were severely underweight and fed only liquified food
A Michigan couple accused of abusing their adopted children by allegedly confining them in dog cages and restraining them with a homemade straitjacket have entered no contest pleas to child abuse charges, prosecutors said.
Jessica Klimp, 45, pleaded no contest on May 11 to two counts of first-degree child abuse involving two of the couple’s adopted children, according to the office of Dana Nessel. Her husband, Jason Klimp, 47, previously entered the same plea in March.
Authorities said the case began unfolding in February 2024 after one of the couple’s adopted children was hospitalized in Tennessee while the family was staying at a rental property.
Investigators alleged the child was suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition.
According to prosecutors, further investigation revealed that two adopted children were severely underweight, were fed only liquified food and had restricted, supervised access to meals.
Following the hospitalization, Michigan State Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home in Wexford County, where investigators allegedly discovered dog cages believed to have been used to confine the children, along with security alarms mounted to a bedroom door and a homemade straitjacket.
The couple are parents to four adopted children and four biological children, though prosecutors said the allegations publicly disclosed involve only the adopted children.
“Kids deserve to grow up in a loving home free from abuse,” Nessel said in a statement following the pleas.
“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,” she added.
The couple had originally been charged by the Wexford County Prosecutor’s Office in February 2024.
In a separate but related Tennessee case, both Jessica and Jason Klimp pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse charges and were sentenced in October 2025 to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors said the Tennessee sentences will run concurrently with any punishment imposed in Michigan. Jason Klimp is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, while a sentencing date for Jessica Klimp has not yet been announced.
Authorities also confirmed that the couple’s parental rights have been terminated.