Burlco couple charged with 'unimaginable' abuse

An Army major and his wife, now living in Mount Holly, are accused of inflicting "unimaginable cruelty" on three young children they adopted through foster care, authorities said after unsealing an indictment against them Tuesday.

John E. Jackson, 37, and his wife, Carolyn, 35, were held in a federal prison on child-abuse and neglect charges pending a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Authorities say the couple abused children for five years until 2010, when medical workers raised concerns. Two years earlier, one of the children had died.

The alleged abuse includes beatings so severe that bones were broken, according to court records. The couple, reportedly married for 14 years, also forced the children to eat flaked red pepper and hot sauce for discipline. Food, water and medical attention were withheld, authorities said.

"Carolyn and John Jackson are charged with unimaginable cruelty to children they were trusted to protect," U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said in a statement. "The crimes alleged should not happen to any child, anywhere, and it is deeply disturbing that they would happen on a military installation."

At the time of the alleged abuse, the Jacksons lived at the Picatinny Arsenal Installation in Morris County, which is why they were charged in federal court. They face one count of conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child, 13 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and three counts of assault.

Court records refer to the children by initials only. Authorities said they could not disclose the children's ages or gender.

According to a 2011 online posting in support of the family, the Jacksons have two biological sons and a biological daughter, ages 9 to 13. It also lists two adopted daughters, age 4.

The indictment noted that one of their children died in 2008. That child was identified in published reports as an adopted 2-year-old son who died of a seizure after suffering from birth defects and drug addiction as an infant.

Kristine Brown, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families, said she could not confirm whether the state had investigated the family, citing confidentiality laws. She did say the 2008 death was not ruled the result of abuse or neglect.

Spokeswoman Rebekah Carmichael of the U.S. Attorney's Office said additional charges were not anticipated, but the investigation remains open.

After concerns were raised in 2010, when one of the children needed medical attention, the Jacksons' three biological children and two adopted children were placed in the state's care.

According to the indictment, one of the adopted children was forced to ingest excessive sodium while fluids were restricted, causing hypernatremia and dehydration, a life-threatening condition.

At that time, a public campaign using social media defended the couple.

"They've got all my children," John Jackson told a reporter in a January 2011 online story for WorldNetDaily, which describes itself as an independent conservative news network. "My children are being held hostage. They've been kidnapped."

On a website asking for signatures to support reuniting the family, the Jacksons are described as "devout Christian homeschoolers with a history of helping troubled youth."

One post said, "Maj. Jackson is a passionate husband and family man who is a devout Christian and a patriotic American."

The site describes the couple's "nightmare" that began with an aggressive state investigation.

"He never thought he would be forced to endure Christmas without his children while his wife sat alone at home and his children were separated into three different homes," according to a 2011 online posting.

Prosecutors offered a stark contrast to the couple in the 22-page indictment that describes how one of the children confided to an adult family friend, who, in turn, told John Jackson about abuse allegations.

Jackson then told his wife, who "retaliated . . . by beating [the child] multiple times with a belt," according to the indictment.

One of the biological children was punished for sneaking food and water to an adopted sibling and then was told to monitor the child to make sure she did not drink from sinks or toilets, according to the indictment.

The couple allegedly warned their biological children not to report abuse, instructing them that they were "training" the adoptive children to behave.

Lawyers for the couple did not return phone calls seeking comment on Tuesday.