Two Knoxville parents, Jason and Amber Hoffer, 27 and 28 years old, respectively, are accused of mistreating their seven children. One of them allegedly was locked in a dog kennel by Jason, who then struck him with a metal pole for misbehaving.
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As reported by WVLT, the alleged mistreatment was discovered at around 7:23 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) received a report of two small children standing at a Clear Springs Road wood line in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Upon arrival, KCSO deputies saw the two children walking by themselves, with no adults in sight. The children, who were approximately 6 years old, lived in a nearby home with their parents, Jason and Amber Hoffer.
Warrants obtained by the outlet detailed that one of the kids was suffering from bruising on one of his legs. Furthermore, both minors told the deputies that they were hungry as they had not eaten.
After arriving at the family’s home, deputies found that there were a total of seven children living in the house. The residence, however, was in “very deplorable and uninhabitable conditions,” as per the KCSO.
The warrant detailed that trash was found all over the house, and feces stains were noticeable in several areas of the residence. Additionally, the house had no running water, as per the document.
Given the circumstances, all children, ages one month to seven years old, were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Locked Cage, Alleged Abuse
It was at the hospital that one of the children revealed the alleged abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.
The child revealed that Jason allegedly kept him in a locked cage in the living room. Then, Jason, according to the warrant, also struck him with a metal pole when he misbehaved. Authorities alleged that the child had been subjected to assault, as he had welts on his hip and bruises on his buttocks and shoulders.
Furthermore, the child revealed to deputies and the Department of Child Services that he had escaped from the cage and convinced one of his siblings to escape the house. That’s how they ended up being found by deputies, walking by themselves.
Authorities searched the Hoffer house and, as per the warrant, they found a metal dog kennel, even though there were no pets in the residence.
According to the KCSO, Jason and Amber Hoffer were arrested. Jason was charged with one count of child endangerment and one count of aggravated child abuse. Amber, meanwhile, was charged with two counts of child endangerment. They are both being held at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.
The Department of Child Services removed the children from the house. Currently, the investigation remains active and ongoing.