FENTRESS COUNTY, Tenn. — A mother and father from Michigan are facing child abuse charges after Fentress County authorities responded to reports that a young girl had collapsed at their home. When deputies arrived, they thought the girl was around 6 years old. She was actually around 12 years old.
On Feb. 18, authorities went to the home and met the parents, Jessica Klimp and Jason Klimp. According to the arrest warrant, the two have eight children and are from Cadilac, Michigan.
According to a warrant, they told authorities the girl was walking back from being outside when she collapsed, and Jason Klimp said he put her in a shower to try warming her up because she felt cold.
She was taken to the East Tennessee Children's Hospital for treatment, and an investigator got a call on Feb. 21 to meet with medical staff there. They told him that she was severely undernourished and underdeveloped.
Jason Klimp told the investigator that the girl would only eat food from a bottle because she couldn't keep down regular food, or wouldn't eat at all if it wasn't from a bottle.
"Mr. Klimp further stated that a counselor told them to purate [sic] the children's food. I, investigator Mifflin, ask Mr. Klimp if he did all the children's food that way. He stated, no just [the girl] and sister's food, because they didn't want to eat it any other way," the warrant said.
The warrant also said Jason Klimp said the family adopted the girl and her sister around nine years ago after they had "gone through lots of trauma" and were not able to eat regular food.
The investigator then asked the 12-year-old about the incident and the warrant said she couldn't remember much about the incident that sent her to the hospital. However, she said she had to eat from a bottle because "she and her sister eat too much and would get sick."
The investigator said the girl could not further explain what she meant.
Aside from the 12-year-old girl, the warrant said seven other children were in the care of the Klimps and a referral was made to the Department of Children's Services. Four of the children were biological children and four were adopted, according to the warrant.
Jessica Klimp was asked to bring the remaining children to a hospital for an examination, and there she met with another investigator as well as Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents. A doctor found that the 12-year-old's biological sister was in a similarly malnourished state.
Authorities then spoke with all the children and the warrant said they all effectively told them the same thing — the two girls were made to sleep without covers in plastic totes in a basement that's usually around 60 degrees Fahrenheit as punishment for peeing the bed.
When authorities asked the girls about it, they first "said they shouldn't say," but then confirmed they had slept in those conditions on Feb. 18.
Bail was set at $100,000 for the Klimps, according to the records. They were both arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment, which is a felony.
The state asked to increase bail for both parents. The two are scheduled to appear in court again on April 4 for their next hearing.