New Jersey Couple Face Fourth Resentencing for Abusing Adopted Children

Carolyn and John Jackson handed harsher prison terms for acts of abuse, neglect, and cruelty toward their adopted children, all of whom were under four and developmentally delayed.

Morristown, NJ – A former U.S. Army major and his wife have been resentenced for the fourth time for their roles in the abuse and neglect of their three adopted children, all under four years old and developmentally delayed. The couple's cruel treatment ranged from fracturing the children's bones to force-feeding them hot sauce, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Carolyn Jackson, 46, received a 140-month prison sentence, while her husband, John E. Jackson, 48, formerly stationed at the Picatinny Arsenal Installation in Morris County, was sentenced to 108 months. This latest sentencing comes after a long legal battle involving multiple appeals and revisions.

"The defendants’ systematic abuse was horrifying, and included physical assaults, withholding of food, water, and medical care, and forcing them to ingest hot sauce, among other inhumane treatment," said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

The Jacksons were first found guilty in July 2015 in a Newark federal court on multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Their sentencing journey has been complicated; an initial lenient sentencing was followed by a series of government appeals that led to the vacating of the sentences multiple times due to identified errors.

In 2015, Carolyn was initially sentenced to 24 months, and John received probation and community service. They were resentenced in 2018, again in 2019, and most recently by U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who imposed the current prison terms.

The case garnered federal jurisdiction as the crimes occurred on a military base. John Jackson was discharged from the Army in May 2015. This case's significance is underscored by the involvement of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

According to trial evidence, the abuse took place from August 2005 to April 2010. The couple used various objects to physically assault their adopted children, leading to severe injuries, including fractured bones and even partial amputation of one child's finger. They failed to seek prompt medical care, denied adequate food and water, and even punished one child for sneaking food by making them eat a raw onion and ingest hot sauce.

Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy commented, “Many times, the punishments do not fit the crime. This couple abused developmentally challenged toddlers in ways that seem unimaginable and unbelievably inhumane."

In addition to prison terms, both defendants are sentenced to three years of supervised release. The resentencing aims to provide a measure of justice for the victims, who have had their lives irreversibly damaged due to the abuse.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the FBI and other agencies for their thorough investigation, stating, "For over a decade, this Office has pursued justice for these victims whose childhoods and lives were irretrievably damaged by the defendants’ abuse."

The news of the resentencing serves as a somber reminder to the Morris County community about the persistent pursuit of justice for the most vulnerable among us.