Left: Jason Hoffer. Right: Amber Hoffer (Knox County Sheriff”s Office).
Parents in Tennessee were taken into custody, accused of making their seven children live in extremely poor and unlivable conditions in their home.
Jason Hoffer, 27, faces charges of child endangerment and aggravated child abuse, while his wife, Amber Hoffer, 28, is also charged with child endangerment, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in a statement.
The situation came to light shortly before 7:30 a.m. on a Tuesday, when sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of two young children alone in a wooded area off Clear Springs Road in Mascot, near Knoxville. The deputies identified the children’s nearby residence and escorted them back, meeting their parents, the Hoffers.
Officials discovered that seven children, ranging from one month to seven years, were living in the home. According to arrest warrants accessed by CBS affiliate WVLT, one of the two unattended children had severe leg bruises and both said they were hungry and hadn’t eaten recently. Investigators found extremely filthy conditions inside, with trash littering the floor and feces spread across the walls and sink, as stated in the complaint.
All seven children were taken to a nearby hospital for assessment. During interviews, one boy disclosed that his father forced him to stay in a dog cage in the living room. If he misbehaved, Jason Hoffer would allegedly lock the cage and strike him with a metal pole, resulting in severe welts.
Cops say the child escaped and ran out of the home, which is what sparked the investigation and arrests.
Police allegedly found the kennel in the home and noted the family had no pets.
As of Sunday, Jason Hoffer remained in the Knox County Jail on a $55,000 bond. It appears Amber Hoffer has since posted bond.
The Department of Children’s Services removed the seven kids from the home.
