Wisconsin – A Wisconsin parent was convicted last week after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including chronic negIect of a child resuIting in great bodiIy harm, according to court records and local reporting. The felony conviction stems from the near-starvation of his child, 15, who weighed just fifty eight pounds when first responders were called to the family’s Wisconsin home. His wife, 33-year-old Britany, the girl’s stepmom, remains charged with chiId negIect and abuse in a separate, ongoing case. Sentencing for the defendant, 40-year-old T. HuII, is set for later this year, while his spouse has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The investigation began after a medical emergency at the home in Oct. 2023. A deputy who followed up on the call found medics performing CPR in an ambulance; after roughly 25 minutes, the teen was transported to a hospital and later transferred for higher-level care. Medical staff reported that the teen’s organs had begun to fail due to severe dehydration and that malnutrition had caused bone marrow failure. A physician told investigators the girl was approximately thirty five pounds under a normal weight and five inches shorter than expected for her age; testing ruled out medical or behavioral conditions that might explain the presentation.
According to the criminal complaints and investigative reports, the father told the responding deputy the teen had consumed a protein shake, then began having difficulty breathing, gagging, and could not swaIIow. He also claimed she had stopped growing two to three years earlier and referenced vague circulation issues as part of a history of health problems. Detectives later obtained home surveillance footage and examined the child’s bedroom, documenting conditions that corroborated prolonged deprivation. Investigators reported a functional alarm on the bedroom door, locks on the door and windows, and books taped to the mattress in a way that forced a particular sleeping position.
The detective also reviewed interior security camera video that, according to the complaint, showed the teen forced to stand for hours with her hands raised while being ordered to lift them higher as she shook and cried. Separately, a pastor at a children’s program the teen had attended told investigators he believed she was being abused, describing her as literally starving and saying she hid to eat snacks where the stepmother could not see her. The teen gained nearly five pounds in her first week at the hospital and, according to medical staff, ate without difficulty, further undermining claims of an underlying medical condition.
Detectives interviewed family members. The defendant’s spouse told investigators she had consulted a nutritionist and imposed a diet she said was intended to aid the child’s brain function because of alleged ADHD. Investigators and medical records contradicted that explanation, noting that doctors found no neurological or behavioral issues to justify the restrictions.
In her interview with a detective, the victim said she was not permitted breakfast or snacks, was punished if she ate outside set times, and had to sit at a table in the living room for most of the day, apart from the rest of the family’s meals. She reported receiving only a late-day meal and another just before bedtime and being limited to 16 ounces of water per day.
Wisconsin authorities say the teen has improved since the intervention, though her current placement has not been publicly disclosed given her age and the nature of the offenses. The case file, comprised of medical records, interviews, and home surveillance evidence, formed the basis for the plea and continues to underpin the prosecution of the remaining charges against the stepmother.
