How Could You? Hall of Shame-Phil and Kimberly Loesch UPDATED
This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.
From Harbor Springs, Michigan, adoptive parents Phil and Kimberly Loesch have been charged with three counts of second degree child abuse in relation to incidents with their 13-year-old adopted son, another adopted son, and teenaged adopted daughter.
“In mid-July, police were called to the Loesch home for a missing adopted 13 year old boy.
Sheriff Pete Wallin says he received several tips as to why the boy went missing.
After the boy was found, investigators arrested and Phil and Kimberly for child abuse.
Harbor Springs Adoptive Parents Accused Of Child Abuse
[9 and 10 news 9/19/13]
“The parents of the 13-year-old boy who went missing for two days in July have been arrested and charged with three counts of second degree child abuse.
The young boy went missing in mid-July. He was last seen running into the woods in Readmond Township. Dozens of deputies and volunteers searched the area and eventually found him in Cross Village.
“During the course of the search, my office received several tips as to the reason why this young man may have left his home,” said Sheriff Pete Wallin.”
Parents of teen who was missing for two days in July arrested for child abuse
[Up North Live 9/19/13 by Anne Cook]
“Court documents show that the 13-year-old boy and two other adoptive children were abused from the time they were adopted in 2008 until they were removed from the home by Protective Services in July. One of the children, a now 18-year-old girl permanently left the home in January of 2012 and placed in foster care.
The affidavit shows that the children were required to spend long hours upstairs in their room during each day and were not allowed to leave the room without permission. Documents show the children were required to ask permission to use the restroom and on several occasions were forced to relieve themselves in their room because permission had not been granted.
The court documents allege the bedroom was monitored and secured using a baby gate, alarm system and baby monitor.
The affidavit said the children were given insufficient food to eat, were not allowed water after 7 p.m. and had a diet consisting of soggy corn flakes every morning and a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and dinner. For punishment, the documents allege the children were required to eat something called “mush,” which consisted of corn, peas and vinegar. When the children vomited into the bowl, the documents allege they were required to eat the vomit mixture as further punishment.
The children were not allowed to eat any of the other food in the house, the documents said, as it was reserved for the biological members of the family. The adoptive children were also forced to eat in a separate location than the rest of the family, often standing up by the door or in their bedrooms.
The two young boys were both severely underweight and small for their ages as a result of the lack of sufficient nourishment, the documents allege.
The children were also physically abused by beatings on their hands, heads and buttocks with leather “spanking sticks”, the records show.
The documents also allege the children were “unreasonably and excessively” required to exercise for long periods of time by carrying or holding large rocks or heavy buckets or water. The biological children were not required to have these punishments when they were disciplined, the documents said.
The rocks and buckets were allegedly required to be hidden when CPS came to investigate based on complaints from school personnel or others, which the documents said happened frequently.
Court documents allege many of the punishments were in retaliation for the kids eating or drinking or taking food or water because they were hungry or thirsty and then lying about it out of fear of further punishment.
The adoptive children were not allowed to socialize with other family members, the court records allege. One of the young boys was required to wear cardboard box sides on his head so he could only look straight forward as punishment for looking up or around when, for instance, family members came in the bedroom.
They were repeatedly told they were “thieves” or “liars” and were told they were not loved, unwanted and that they should “run away for good.”
The documents allege the young boys were required to take showers together while a female family member was in the bathroom monitoring them. They also allegedly had to share the same towel.
In the last several months, the documents show the boys were required to sleep on the floor of their bedroom during the last several months, with no mattress, sheets, covers or pillows, the documents show. They were even told what position their hands and bodies should be in while they slept.
The documents allege the abuse was “regular, ongoing, and typical.” They claim the three children attempted to run away from home on several occasions and many concerned citizens called in complaints to Child Protective Services.
The children rarely if ever revealed the extent of the abuse out of fear of further punishments and were event told what to say to CPS officials by the parents, the documents said.
“The environment created by these ‘parents’ for these children was characterized as completely controlling, domineering, coercive, hostile, punitive, unloving, abusive, and cruel, such as to cause serious physical, emotional and mental damage to these children,” the documents said.”
Court documents detail alleged abuse by Emmet Co. parents
[Up North Live 9/20/13 by Nathan Edwards]
REFORM Puzzle Pieces
Update: “A former Harbor Springs man who originally faced up to 10 years in prison was sentenced Monday to 14 days in the Emmet County Jail in the 57th Circuit Court for fourth degree child abuse.
Phillip Loesch, 53, of Pensacola, Fla., pleaded “no contest” to the one-year maximum jail time misdemeanor in October, in a deal with the Emmet County prosecutor. The charge carries a maximum one year in jail.[Say what???]
Both Phillip Loesch and his wife Kimberly Loesch were originally charged with four counts of second degree child abuse, which each carry a maximum 10 years in prison, for the alleged abuse and neglect of two adopted children in their former Harbor Springs home. Kimberly Loesch is scheduled to stand trial Jan. 21 on all four charges.
The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the couple in July when one of the victims ran away from home, launching a three-day, area-wide “missing child” search around the home in sweltering mid-summer temperatures.
In the original court affidavit, Mr. Loesch, who is a physical trainer, was alleged to have required his two adopted sons to hold rocks out at arm’s length for long periods of time, carry buckets of water and perform push ups, as well as other physical activities for punishment. The charges also accused the couple of not feeding the children and refusing them water.
Prior to his sentencing, the defendant said he was “embarrassed” to be in front of the court and had only tried to help the two adopted children.
“Through the years, we have seen a number of different counselors that we worked with in an attempt to find the best way to deal with the issues that we were presented by the (victims),” Loesch said. “If they were here today, I would apologize to them for not being able to find the help they needed.”
He went on to ask the judge for mercy and consideration in his sentence.
At times Monday during the sentencing, the proceedings sounded more like a trial with both sides arguing about how stern the final sentencing should be in front of Judge Richard Pajitas, of the 33rd Circuit Court in Charlevoix County. The judge was assigned to the case last month when Emmet County Judge Charles Johnson recused himself from hearing the case because of prior knowledge of the evidence.
The recommendation to the court was the full one-year jail time, based on a probation investigation that considers the factors in the crime and defendants life such as education, employment and possible substance abuse.
“I don’t think he falls in line with the type of people who deserve jail time,” said Defense Attorney Daniel Harris, noting Loesch had never been previously convicted of a crime and has three, successful paternal children.
A large number of letters were written to the court from community members supporting Loesch, as well as a full courtroom Monday morning that waited for hours while original sentencing time was delayed.
Harris said the jail recommendation did not “make any sense” and was made because the defendant did not have any substance abuse issues or other factors to “manage.”
While Emmet County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Stuart Fenton told the judge he was not sure what the right sentence was, he argued that despite the court records being amended to show Loesch was typically working from about 5:30 a.m. in the morning to 10 p.m., he must have had an idea of the abuses going on in the home.
“(The victims) entire existence was about discipline, and what they needed was caring,” Fenton said.
Fenton argued the children were under weight, self-described as always hungry and thirsty.
“All I know is part of the sentence should be incarceration, because it is the closest thing to what he put these kids through,” Fenton said.
Among the letters submitted to the court was correspondence from Dr. Timothy Strauss, of Petoskey, who has been seeing the two adopted children for several years.
Judge Pajitas quoted Strauss’ submission at length to have it entered into the public record as a response for several accusations made in the original charging affidavit, which details extreme neglect and physical abuses.
“There are two sides to every story,” Pajitas said.
Strauss saw the children after there had been concerns of abuse made by school officials about the boy’s lack of food, but the counselor food no evidence of abuse. Instead, he said both victims showed symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder, an aggressive pattern of behavior toward authority figures.
The behaviors, according to Strauss, included throwing away food and lunches, and then later telling teachers no food was prepared for the victims.
“The victim choose this area to be oppositionally defiant,” Strauss said in the letter.
The doctor also notes behaviors such as soiling bedrooms and other actions — things mentioned in the arresting documents — as related to the defiant pattern and not the result of prolonged neglect.
Following reading the letter, Judge Pajitas explained his sentencing.
“Frankly, I think Mr. Loesch raised three other fine children and had intentions to help these children with special needs through the adoption and got into a situation he couldn’t handle,” Pajitas said. “…I do think he crossed the line with the discipline.”
Pajitas noted the importance of deterring others from making similar offenses and sentenced Loesch to 30 days in jail with 15 days held in abeyance, credit for one day served and 14 days to be served in the county jail. Loesch began serving his sentence Monday.”
Former Harbor Springs father to serve 14 days for child abuse[Petoskey News 1/2/14 by Brandon Hubbard]
14 days????? It should be 14 YEARS.
There is no justice.
Whereas robbing video stores at age twenty without injuring anyone merits an effective life sentence.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/man-has-spend-90-more-years-prison-after-discovery-clerical-error
http://www.change.org/petitions/john-w-suthers-release-rene-lima-marin
But then, the Loeschs are white. And their victims were misbehaving “unappreciative” adoptees, not a wealthy corporation. That makes all the difference in what sentence is “appropriate”, you see. /sarc
They should rot in hell for what they both did.