Woman Jailed After Having 4 Children With Uncle, Left Them Malnourished
The case of Hannah Johnson, a 28-year-old Ohio woman sentenced to 10 to 14 years in prison for child endangerment and kidnapping, has drawn widespread attention due to the disturbing circumstances surrounding her children’s neglect and her relationship with her uncle, John Thomas Johnson.
A Disturbing Family History
John Johnson, who died in September 2022 at age 52, was described in his obituary as the “beloved husband” of Hannah Johnson and a “loving father” to their children. However, court documents and Hannah’s attorney reveal that he was actually her uncle. Their relationship allegedly began when she was 17 years old, and he fathered four children with her.
Hannah’s attorney claims her father allowed John Johnson, a registered sex offender, to take her in as his common-law wife, severing her ties with the rest of her family. Over the years, the children they had together suffered severe neglect under their care.
Severe Neglect and Malnourishment
When authorities first intervened in 2023, three of Hannah’s children, then ages 4, 6, and 7, were found in a shocking state:
- They had never attended school or daycare.
- They could not walk or talk and were still wearing diapers.
- They were severely malnourished and had not been taught basic functions like eating.
The oldest child, a 7-year-old girl, weighed only 22 pounds and was described as looking skeletal. Medical professionals at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville had to treat them for extreme malnutrition, and they are still being fed using gastronomy tubes as they recover.
A fourth child, a boy, was found in slightly better condition and had lived separately with John Johnson’s elderly mother.
The Investigation and Arrests
After police visited Hannah Johnson’s home in Sedamsville, Cincinnati, in June 2023, following reports of a strong odor, she drove the three most malnourished children to her estranged mother’s home in Kentucky and left them there.
Hannah Johnson was arrested on July 2, 2023, for driving while intoxicated in Ohio. She was arrested again in Indiana in November 2023 for another DWI** charge. Court records show she never attempted to contact her children while she was out on bond or in jail.
Legal Consequences
Johnson pleaded guilty to child endangerment and kidnapping charges in **Hamilton County Common Pleas Court** and was given a 10 to 14-year prison sentence.
