A firefighter from Florida and his spouse have reportedly confessed to confining their 12-year-old adopted daughter to her bedroom for several years, citing alleged religious beliefs as their rationale.
Joel Kohnert, 44, alongside his wife Jennifer Kohnert, 45, were apprehended on Tuesday by Coral Springs police. They now face charges of child abuse that did not result in significant physical harm.
The investigation into the Kohnerts commenced on February 11, following a meeting between the Florida Department of Children and Families and a resource officer at the young girl’s school, as detailed in the arrest report.
The child revealed to authorities that her bedroom was locked from the outside consistently for about three years, both overnight and, at times, during the day.
She further reported having been deprived of bathroom access, compelling her to use the floor and subsequently clean up after herself.
Additionally, the girl was subjected to writing Bible verses as a form of punishment and was accused of being ‘bipolar like her biological mother.’
A defense attorney said the couple were ‘devout Christians’ who were ‘devoutly religious’ but that explanation was rejected in bond court on Wednesday, per Local10.
‘When you allegedly have a 12–year–old child who is locked in a room for upwards of three years and is forced to urinate and defecate in the room and then clean it up with her clothes, that is not a religious issue, that is something else,’ Judge Corey Friedman said.
Joel is a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue lieutenant, according to a public social media profile.
Joel Kohnert, 44, and Jennifer Kohnert, 45, were charged with one count of child abuse after allegedly locking their adopted 12-year-old daughter in her bedroom for about three years
The other six children, who were the Kohnerts’ biological kids, said the adopted daughter was ‘locked in her room overnight, urinates and defecates on herself’
An arrest report said the Kohnerts’ adopted daughter was regularly locked in her bedroom because she ‘wandered’ their Coral Springs home and ‘took items from family members’
The Kohnerts appeared in bond court Wednesday, where the explanation that they were ‘devoutly religious’ was shot down by the judge
The Kohnerts were taken to the Broward County Main Jail, with their bonds both set at $100,000.
The couple posted bond on Thursday, according to Broward County court records viewed by the Daily Mail.
Joel has been placed on administrative investigative leave from Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue without pay, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Their daughter was regularly locked in her bedroom because she ‘wandered the house and took items from family members,’ according to the arrest report.
Since she did not have access to a bathroom, she was allegedly forced to urinate on the floor and clean up the mess the following morning.
She was ‘required to write Bible verses as a form of punishment,’ according to investigators.
Her bedroom door was locked from the outside and the window could not be opened, meaning that there were ‘no means of escape.’
The Kohnerts’ adopted daughter alleged that she slept on an air mattress and had no toys in her room.
She claimed that she could only wear three outfits. If she received any money or clothing, her mother Jennifer would allegedly take it.
The Kohnerts were taken to the Broward County Main Jail and posted bond on Thursday, according to court records
Jennifer allegedly told investigators that she made her adopted daughter ‘write Proverbs as punishment’
The young girl had been in the family’s care since she was two months old, according to the arrest report.
One week before law enforcement intervened, Jennifer allegedly slapped her adopted daughter and pulled her hair.
This caused her lip to bleed, while Jennifer mocked her and kicked her while she was down, per the arrest report.
The girl claimed she was repeatedly insulted by her parents, who called her ‘little p***er’ and ‘sh***er,’ per the report.
She was also mocked by being told that she was ‘bipolar like her biological mother,’ according to police.
The girl also told investigators that she had been punished by being forced to tread water in a pool for up to 45 minutes.
‘This practice is particularly concerning given Joel’s professional background,’ an officer wrote.
‘He would reasonably be expected to recognize the inherent safety risks associated with restricting a child’s ability to exit a room during an emergency,’ the report added.
Joel is a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue lieutenant. He has been placed on administrative investigative leave without pay
Jennifer Kohnert allegedly admitted that her adopted daughter ‘would not thrive in her care’ and that she was willing to return her to the state of Florida
The other six children, who were the Kohnerts’ biological kids, were also interviewed.
The kids confirmed that the adopted daughter was ‘locked in her room overnight, urinates and defecates on herself, and is required to bathe outside and wash her clothing.’
‘All siblings advised that they are not subjected to that type of punishment,’ the report added.
They said that the girl spent ‘the majority of her time isolated in her room writing Proverbs and is rarely allowed to participate in normal family activities.’
For instance, she was excluded from eating meals or playtime with her siblings.
Jennifer was interviewed and allegedly admitted to locking the girl in her room overnight.
She confirmed that her adopted daughter was made to ‘write Proverbs as punishment and that she is required to bathe and wash her clothing outside, with limited access to indoor facilities.’
The mother ‘acknowledged that these practices were unusual,’ per the report.
She also said that the young girl ‘would not thrive in her care’ and that she would willingly return her to the state of Florida.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Coral Springs Police Department and the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue for further comment.
Information for the Kohnerts’ attorney was not immediately listed on court records, as of Thursday.
