Tennessee Parents Who Claimed Adopted Daughters ‘Ate Too Much’ Forced Them To Sleep on Plastic Totes in 60-Degree Basement

FENTRESS COUNTY, TENNESSEE — A Tennessee couple has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after investigators discovered their two adopted daughters were malnourished, starved, and forced to sleep on plastic storage totes in a cold basement as punishment for bed-wetting.

Jason Klimp, 45, and Jessica Klimp, 43, pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and neglect, according to the 8th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office. The parents reportedly believed the girls “ate too much” and restricted their food intake to an extreme degree.

Authorities said the case was uncovered in February 2024 after one of the adopted children collapsed at home, prompting a disturbing discovery of neglect and cruelty.

Malnourished 12-Year-Old Looked Half Her Age

First responders described finding the 12-year-old girl in such poor condition that they initially mistook her for being between 6 and 8 years old.

Her body temperature was only 95.6 degrees, her skin was discolored, and she was too weak to stand, according to a paramedic’s testimony reported by WBIR.

Jason Klimp allegedly placed his adopted daughter in a cold shower in an attempt to revive her before paramedics arrived. Due to her critical state, she was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.

The parents told officers that the girls couldn’t eat solid food — a claim later disproven during interviews with the victims.

Forced To Eat From Bottles and Sleep in Cold Basement

Investigators learned that both girls were forced to eat from bottles because, as their adoptive parents allegedly told them, they “eat too much and would get sick.”

Authorities also said the girls were punished by being made to sleep in the basement, where the temperature averaged around 60 degrees, with no blankets or beds — just plastic storage totes.

“They were placed there because they wet the bed,” said one investigator, referencing arrest warrants obtained by WVLT.

At the time, eight children lived in the household — four adopted and four biological. Only the two adopted girls showed signs of severe neglect and abuse, authorities said.

Conviction and Sentencing

Both Jason and Jessica Klimp pleaded guilty to the abuse charges and will serve their 10-year prison sentences in Michigan, where they are originally from.

The court also ruled that the couple can no longer have contact with the two victims.

Officials said the case highlights the ongoing issue of abuse within adoptive families and the importance of regular welfare checks for children in foster or adoptive homes.

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