Florida Couple Charged in Adopted Daughter's Isolation

A Florida couple, including a Broward Sheriff's Office fire rescue lieutenant, face child abuse charges after authorities alleged they subjected their 12-year-old adopted daughter to years of isolation and degrading conditions in their Coral Springs home. Joel Kohnert, 44, and his wife, Jennifer Kohnert, 45, were arrested on March 31 and appeared in Broward County court the following day, where a judge set their bonds at $100,000 each and barred them from contact with the victim or any minors.

According to arrest reports and investigators, the couple locked the girl's bedroom door and window from the outside for up to three years, beginning around 2021, to prevent her from wandering the house at night and taking items from siblings. The girl, previously homeschooled, had no access to a bathroom during these periods and was forced to urinate or defecate on the floor. In the mornings, she cleaned the messes using her own clothing, vinegar, and bleach, then washed the soiled garments in a bucket outside before drying them in her room. Her living space contained only an air mattress for sleeping, no furniture, and no toys or personal belongings. A sound machine played at high...