3 Moab residents arrested on child torture charges

An investigation into child torture that began last fall resulted in the arrest of three Moab residents on Dec. 30.

Jennifer Perkins, Jeremiah Perkins and Jonathan Jarman were taken into custody by Moab Police as they left their home in the area of 400 North and 500 West, according to Moab Police Chief Lex Bell. They each face a first-degree felony charge of child torture, based on a new law that went into effect last May in Utah.

The alleged victim, a student at Helen M. Knight Elementary, was reportedly fed a vegan diet consisting only of vegetables and rice. According to court documents, the child lost 13% of his body weight over the course of five months. He told detectives and others during forensic interviews that he was locked in a dog kennel on at least four occasions and was secured with zip ties.

It is also alleged that he was forced to strip down to his underwear and was hog tied and placed on a cold vent in Jeremiah Perkins’ bedroom. Handcuffs were used to bind his hands and feet and a rope was then tied to both sets of handcuffs.

A ball gag was placed in his mouth after he attempted to bite Jennifer Perkins, according to court documents. He said he was forced to take cold showers, as well.

The diet he was subjected to took its toll, according to court papers. His body was “very frail” when Moab Police and Utah Division of Child and Family Services saw him on Oct. 29, the day he was removed from the Perkins’ custody. A detective with Moab Police wrote that the boy was “skeletal like, with his skin sunken into his person.”

Nurses at the Children’s Justice Center medically assessed him with severe malnutrition and refeeding syndrome that would require more care at the Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi. Refeeding syndrome occurs when a severely malnourished person begins to eat a healthy, nutritious diet, causing health problems.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Refeeding syndrome can happen when somebody who is malnourished begins feeding again. Malnourished means your body is deprived of nutrients. When your body tries to metabolize nutrients again, severe shifts — related to electrolyte deficiencies — can occur in your body’s chemistry. They can cause dangerous complications, affecting your muscles, lungs, heart and brain.”

Evaluators estimate the child lost five kilograms, over 11 pounds, over the previous five months, according to court papers.

Witnesses, according to court papers, “describe the victim constantly asking for snacks and would eat and or consume the food or snacks provided to him quickly.”

When snacks were unavailable, the child would sneak and eat items that were “of great medical concern,” including Tums, Dayquil and various toothpastes, which caused him to fall ill.

Jennifer Perkins, an employee at Moab Regional Hospital, told detectives she first noticed the child’s weight loss in August, but did not seek medical help for him because she didn’t “want anyone to get in trouble.”

Additionally, injuries to the victim’s lower legs and feet were evident due to being hog-tied and placed on the floor vent.

“This is a disturbing case of severe abuse and torture of a child,” said Moab Police Chief Lex Bell in a social media post. “We have worked diligently to put together a thorough investigation that we believe will give the prosecution the best chance to bring justice for our victim. Literally the minute we received the arrest warrants for these suspects, we suited up, drove their home and arrested them. Coincidentally, they were walking away from the home as we arrived, making it an even better scenario and safer for all involved”

Bell said the victim has been living with a foster family since October and is thriving.

Charged under a new law

Senate Bill 24, the Child Abuse and Torture Amendments, was passed in the 2025 Utah legislative session and went into effect on May 7. It specifically classifies child torture as a standalone offense, a first-degree felony, with severe mandatory penalties.

Lawmakers passed it due to the extreme case of child abuse involving Ruby Franke and Jodie Hildebrandt, two Washington County women who were sentenced up to 30 years in 2024, but could conceivably only serve four years.

SB24 defines torture as “intentionally or knowingly inflicting a serious injury upon a child in an ‘exceptionally cruel or exceptionally depraved manner’ that causes ‘extreme physical or psychological pain or anguish’.”

A conviction carries a mandatory prison sentence of at least 10 years and may result in life imprisonment. Convicted persons must also register on the federal Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry.

It is unknown if any of the three defendants have retained an attorney.

This story was first published by The Times-Independent.