Editor’s note: This article contains accounts of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being mistreated or neglected, please contact the Childhelp Hotline at (800) 422-4453.

A Florida-based children’s author, along with her husband, has confessed to charges of abusing and neglecting their three children, one of whom was hospitalized in serious condition due to multiple organ failure.

The affected child, an 8-year-old girl, reportedly weighed only 40 pounds according to documents from the arrest. It was revealed that the children faced physical abuse using an object referred to as a “whacker,” and were often confined and forbidden from communicating with each other.

Jennifer Wolfthal, 45, who authored a children’s book titled “A Real Friend,” along with her husband Joseph Wolfthal, 43, who works as an engineer at Lockheed Martin, each pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse and three counts of child neglect earlier this week, as detailed in court records examined by YSL News.

One of the children recounted a life where she was isolated from everyone except her parents, including her siblings, often spending most of her time locked in her room alone. A report from Seminole County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean R. Platter included allegations that two of the children frequently faced punitive measures such as being sent to bed, having cold water poured over them, and remaining in that state throughout the night.

As part of their punishments, the children reported being compelled to write sentences. Evidence collected from the home included more than 1,100 handwritten lines stating: “my body stays flat on the bed at all times. I was never given permission to move or say anything. Now I get to write about this along with everything else. I’m a fool.”

The couple was arrested in 2021 after the 8-year-old was hospitalized. Records outlined her critical health issues, including organ failure, sepsis, staph infection, black eyes, open wounds, pneumonia, and malnutrition.

The other children were also hospitalized due to malnourishment and bruising following a welfare check at their Casselberry home in central Florida. Reports indicate that these children were adopted.

Deputy Platter’s reports indicated that the kids were frightened to leave their rooms at night to use the bathroom and would sometimes have accidents. One reported that she hadn’t been bathed for months and was primarily fed a mixture of cereal and vegetable puree, often not eating until late in the afternoon.

According to arrest documents, the couple used an item that one child referred to as a “whacker” for punishment, leading to extensive bruising and wounds that were already present being struck again.

Jennifer Wolfthal released her book in 2020, which tells the tale of best friends Max and Benny who have a falling out, as outlined in its description on Goodreads. Benny, feeling frustrated, attempts to create a new friend. The book is described as “a recognizable picture book about playing together, quarreling, and reconciling,” targeting children aged 4 and older.

Following her arrest, Clavis Publishing announced that it would no longer market the book, stating: “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.”

Jennifer Wolfthal’s biography notes that she was raised in South Florida, holds a degree in elementary education, and taught fourth grade for eight years in public school. She was dedicated to nurturing a love for writing in her students and later chose to homeschool her own children.

Jennifer Wolfthal received a 12-year prison sentence, while Joseph Wolfthal was sentenced to 10 years, as per court documents. Their legal representatives did not respond immediately to inquiries for comment on Saturday.