Latest news with #JillGriffeth
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Florida family accused of abusing up to 9 children, caging one under bed
Published Jul 28, 2025 • 2 minute read Photo by Getty Images Authorities accused a Florida family of abusing as many as nine children in their home, including spraying vinegar in the children's faces as a form of punishment and caging a child under a bunk bed using plywood. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth, ages 47 and 41, were arrested last week along with 21-year-old Dallin and 19-year-old Liberty Griffeth, and charged with aggravated child abuse, according to court records and a statement from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. An investigation was launched after a mandatory reporter at the family's church raised concerns about what was happening at their home in Fort White, Florida, about 30 miles northwest of Gainesville, the sheriff's office said. One of the Griffeth's children was caught with an electronic stun gun at a church camp a few days earlier, authorities said. Concerns were also raised that the Griffeths were treating their biological children differently from their adopted children – some of whom appeared not to know their full names or birthdays. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During a visit by investigators to the Florida home, 'it was noted that the adopted children were working on chores, while the biological children were playing or watching TV,' the sheriff's office said. The children were interviewed and 'various forms of child abuse were discovered,' the sheriff's office said, including allegations that the adopted children were beaten by Brian Griffeth with a cane and locked in their bedrooms. A court order was obtained to remove the children from the home and nine children aged 7 to 16 – five biological and four adopted – were taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families on July 3. Further allegations emerged in subsequent interviews with child protection team investigators, including a child being forced to lie on the floor while a sheet of plywood was placed on top of them and pressed down 'resulting in splinters and pain,' the sheriff's office said. Others alleged they were given non-prescribed medication, told to withhold the truth about what was happening in the home and not taken to school or taught to read and write, authorities said. The children were adopted privately in Arizona, before the family moved to Florida, authorities said. The legal status of one of the children was unknown, because no Arizona adoption record was found. A tenth foster child had returned to their biological parent in Arizona, the sheriff's office said. The Griffeths were arrested on July 22 and are being held on a $500,000 bond at the Columbia County Detention Facility, according to the sheriff's office. Kimberly Kay Mears, the Florida public defender named as their attorney in court documents, did not respond to a request for comment. Wrestling Golf World Canada Canada
Washington Post
13 hours ago
- Washington Post
Florida family accused of abusing up to 9 children, caging one under bed
Authorities accused a Florida family of abusing as many as nine children in their home, including spraying vinegar in the children's faces as a form of punishment and caging a child under a bunk bed using plywood. Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth, aged 47 and 41, were arrested last week along with 21-year-old Dallin and 19-year-old Liberty Griffeth, and charged with aggravated child abuse, according to court records and a statement from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Four adults accused of torturing kids by putting them in cages and spraying their faces with vinegar
Four adults are accused of holding nine children captive inside their Florida home, locking them in cages and spraying them with vinegar as part of a sick punishment, authorities said. Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth, as well as 21-year-old Dallin and 19-year-old Liberty Griffeth, were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said Friday. The four adults are accused of locking the children inside cages in their bedrooms, giving them non-prescribed medication and not providing them adequate schooling – all while instructing them to lie about what happens in their Fort White, Florida, home. The children were also 'forced to lie on the floor by the mother, Jill, and having her place a sheet of plywood on top of the child's body and press down on them, resulting in splinters and pain,' according to the sheriff's office. When punishing the children – five of whom are biological to the couple, while four were adopted – the adults would spray them in the face with vinegar, authorities said. An investigation into the alleged child abuse happening to the nine children, aged between seven and 16, stemmed from concerns from a mandatory reporter at their local church of church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the days before their arrests, one of the children was caught at a church camp with a functioning electronic stun gun, authorities said. 'Additional concerns were raised about the adopted children being treated unfairly compared to the Griffeth biological children, in addition to the children not knowing their full name or their own birthdays,' the sheriff's office said. When authorities went to the home, they saw the adopted children working on chores while the biological children were playing and watching television. Authorities then discovered the couple shared a 10th foster child, who was not present but with their biological parent in Arizona. A well-being check concluded that child was safe and healthy. When authorities began investigating, the adopted children made additional accusations against the adults, including that they were being beaten with a cane and locked in their bedrooms by Brian and the other adults. All nine of the children have been court-ordered to be removed from the home, authorities said. All four adults were arrested on July 22 for aggravated child abuse. They are all being held in the Columbia County Detention Facility on $500,000 bonds.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Cops rescue 9 foster kids from house in woods where they were ‘sprayed with vinegar, locked in cages & sexually abused'
A FAMILY of four have been arrested after cops saved nine foster and adopted children from their alleged house of horrors deep in the Florida woods. Brian Matthew Griffeth, 47, Jill Elizabeth Griffeth, 41, and their adult children Dallin Russel Griffeth, 21, and Liberty Ann Griffeth, 19, were taken in after a tip from a church camp revealed a slew of abuse allegations. 6 6 6 The four adults from the Griffeth family based in Fort White, Columbia County, were charged with aggravated child abuse on July 22. Their alleged victims are made up of 9 biological and adopted children ranging from the ages of 7 and 16. The children were rescued from the house on July 3 and subsequent interviews with the Child Protection Team revealed numerous abuse allegations, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. They include spraying children in the face with vinegar, locking them in makeshift cages, and drugging them with non-prescription medication. "Child Protection Team (CPT) investigators conducted interviews with all 9 of the children," the Sheriff's Office release stated. The children reported being "beaten with a cane", "locked in their bedrooms" and "sprayed with vinegar" as punishment. At least one of the children says they were sexually abused by Dallin Russel Griffeth, an arrest warrant seen by The U.S. Sun states. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy claimed he was locked in makeshift cage built under a bunk bed. He would be trapped by a sheet of plywood that was nailed across to block his exit, according to the warrant. Others claimed they were "forced to lie on the floor by the mother, Jill, and having her place a sheet of plywood on top of the child's body and press down on them resulting in splinters and pain," police said. The children also said they were "instructed to lie about what happens at home" and that they were "not being taken to or provided with adequate schooling to read or write." The family lives in isolation deep in the woods, and many of the children cannot read - some don't even know their birthdays. TIP OPENED FLOODGATES An investigation into the Griffeth family was sparked by a report from someone at their church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Branford. The tip came in following an incident a few days before the children were picked up from the house. 6 6 One of the Griffeth's children was found at church camp with a "functioning electronic stun gun" which led investigators to discover the hideous crimes allegedly committed at the home. Brian had claimed the taser was fake which was later found out to be a lie, the warrant states. "Additional concerns were raised about the adopted children being treated unfairly compared to the Griffeth biological children, in addition to the children not knowing their full name or their own birthdays," the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said. 'MADE TO WORK' The woman from the church told officers that Brian and Jill would mainly adopt and foster children from African-American backgrounds who would be "treated unfairly", according to the arrest warrant. "None of the foster or adopted children are familiar with their last names or basic personal information," she claimed, adding that she feared the children were made to "act as workers not family". The Sheriff's Office noted that at a previous visit to the home, officers from the Florida Department of Children and Families "noted that the adopted children were working on chores, while the biological children were playing or watching TV." "It was discovered during this visit there is a 10th foster child that was not present but was with their biological parent in Arizona," the Sheriff's Office added. This child was found safe and well by Glendale Police. The adoptions were privately arranged in Arizona before the family moved to Florida, cops said. All four adults have been taken to the Columbia County Detention Facility where they are each being held on a $500,000 bond. Full statement on Griffeth family arrests from Columbia County Sheriff's Office On July 3, 2025, Columbia County sheriff's deputies were called to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) with a court-ordered pickup of 9 children residing at the residence of Brian and Jill Griffeth located at 173 SW Boundary Way, Fort White, Florida. Of those 9 children, 5 are biological and 4 are adopted with ages from 7-16 years of age. This pick-up order was a result of an investigation of alleged child abuse that was happening in the home stemming from concerns by a mandatory reporter at their local church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Branford, FL. While at church camp a few days prior, one of the Griffeth's children was caught with a functioning electronic stun gun. Additional concerns were raised about the adopted children being treated unfairly compared to the Griffeth biological children, in addition to the children not knowing their full name or their own birthdays. Prior to the pick-up order, DCF investigators responded to the Griffeth residence to interview the family regarding the accusations. During this initial visit it was noted that the adopted children were working on chores, while the biological children were playing or watching TV. It was discovered during this visit there is a 10th foster child that was not present but was with their biological parent in Arizona. A well-being check was done by the Glendale Police Department, and the child was safe and healthy. During the interview of the children by DCF, various forms of child abuse were discovered. Accusations of the adopted children being beaten with a cane by Brian and also locked in their bedrooms by Brian and the other adults. As a result of the allegations of physical abuse, DCF investigators obtained a court order to remove all of the children from the home. Over the next few days Child Protection Team (CPT) investigators conducted interviews with all 9 of the children. During these interviews, allegations by the children included: Being caged under the bunk bed by screwing in plywood to prevent his escape Being forced to lie on the floor by the mother, Jill, and having her place a sheet of plywood on top of the child's body and press down on them resulting in splinters and pain Being sprayed in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment Being given non-prescribed medication Being instructed to lie about what happens at home Not being taken to or provided with adequate schooling to read or write As a result of the CPT interviews and the DCF investigation, all four active and participating adults in the Griffeth home were arrested on July 22, 2025, for aggravated child abuse and transported to the Columbia County Detention Facility and where each are being held on $500,000 bond. At this time, it is also unsure of the legal adoptive status of one of the children since there is no record found in Arizona. It should be noted, due to the original concerns by a mandatory reporter here in the State of Florida, DCF became involved and investigated Griffeth family. The adoption process for these children was conducted privately in Arizona, prior to moving the family of 13 to Ft. White, Florida. Due to the implementation of mandatory reporting here in Florida, a report was made, an investigation was conducted, and these children were removed from this house of abuse.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
Florida: Arrests after children 'kept in cages under bunk beds and sprayed in face as punishment'
Four people have been arrested after being accused of abusing nine children in Florida. Officials allege they were kept in cages made of plywood under bunk beds and sprayed in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment. Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth - along with Dallin and Liberty Griffeth - have now been charged with aggravated child abuse. The children are aged between 7 and 16, and it is believed four had been adopted. According to the local sheriff's office, the adopted children were "treated unfairly compared to the biological children" - and did not know their full names or birthdays. Prosecutors claim they were beaten with canes, given non-prescribed medication, and ordered to lie about what was happening in their Fort White home. When investigators visited the property, the adopted children were working on chores while the biological siblings played or watched TV. All of the children have now been removed from the property. An investigation began after someone at their local church, who is legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect, raised concerns. A few days before the four were arrested, one of the children was also caught with a functioning electronic stun gun at a church camp.
