Michigan Couple Jessica Klimp and Jason Klimp Plead No Contest in Child Abuse Case Involving Alleged Confinement of Adopted Children in Dog Cages and Homemade Straitjacket

A Michigan couple accused of confining their adopted children in dog cages and using a homemade straitjacket has pleaded no contest to serious child abuse charges, according to prosecutors.

Jessica Klimp, 45, pleaded no contest on Monday, May 11, to two counts of first-degree child abuse involving two of her adopted children, according to a news release from the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Her husband, Jason Klimp, 47, previously entered a no contest plea in March to two counts of first-degree child abuse.

The couple, formerly of Cadillac in Wexford County, Michigan, are parents to four adopted children and four biological children. Prosecutors clarified that the allegations specifically involve the adopted children, and there have been no public claims of abuse involving the biological children.

Authorities said the investigation began in February 2024 while the family was staying at a rental home in Tennessee, where one of the adopted children was hospitalized suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition.

Following the hospitalization, investigators launched a deeper inquiry and later discovered that two of the adopted children were severely underweight. According to the Michigan Attorney General’s office, the children were allegedly fed only liquefied food and given restricted access to meals.

After the initial findings, Michigan State Police executed a search warrant at the family’s home in Wexford County, where investigators reported discovering disturbing evidence, including a homemade straitjacket, security alarms attached to a bedroom door, and dog cages that authorities believe were used to confine the children.

“Kids deserve to grow up in a loving home free from abuse,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “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.”

The Wexford County Prosecutor’s Office originally filed charges in February 2024. In a related case in Tennessee, Jessica and Jason Klimp each previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated child abuse and were sentenced in October 2025 to 10 years in prison, according to officials.

Prosecutors said the Tennessee sentences will run concurrently with any additional sentencing in Michigan. Jason Klimp is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, while Jessica Klimp’s sentencing date has not yet been announced.

Authorities also confirmed that the couple’s parental rights have been terminated as the case continues to proceed through the justice system.