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Florida family of 4 accused of abusing adopted children

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Published  July 28, 2025 9:54am EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Four members of a Florida family have been arrested on aggravated child abuse charges and nine children have been removed from their home.
    • The investigation began when a church member reported concerns, leading to disturbing allegations of physical abuse and neglect, particularly toward the adopted children.
    • The adopted children, brought to Florida through a private adoption in Arizona, described being beaten, locked in rooms, and denied education and proper care.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - A North Florida family is behind bars after being accused of abusing several of their adopted children.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation after a member of the family’s church came forward with concerns about potential abuse.

As a result, authorities have removed nine children from the family's care.

What we know:

Four members of the Griffeth family – Brian Griffeth, 47; Jill Griffeth, 41; Dallin Griffeth, 21; and Liberty Griffeth, 19 – have been arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse. 

Credit: Columbia County Sheriff's Office

They are currently being held in jail, each with a bond set at $500,000.

Credit: Columbia County Sheriff's Office

What we don't know:

Authorities have not released details regarding the specific roles each family member allegedly played in the abuse. It’s also unclear how long the abuse may have been occurring or how long the children had been in the Griffeths' care.

Content warning: This story discusses allegations of abuse against children according to information from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. The details in this story are disturbing. 

The backstory:

On July 3, deputies assisted the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) with the court-ordered removal of nine children from the Fort White, Florida, home of Brian and Jill Griffeth.

According to deputies, five of the children are the Griffeths’ biological children, and four are adopted, ranging in age from 7 to 16 years old.

The removal order followed an investigation into abuse claims made by a mandatory reporter from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Branford.

Authorities said that, during a church camp a few days earlier, one of the Griffeth children was seen in possession of an electronic stun gun.

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Following that incident, additional concerns were raised about the adopted children, including allegations that they were being treated unfairly compared to the Griffeths' biological children. Authorities also noted that some of the children did not know their full names or birthdays.

Before the children were removed, DCF investigators visited the home to conduct interviews regarding the accusations.

During the visit, investigators observed that the adopted children were performing chores, while the biological children were playing or watching TV.

Through interviews, investigators uncovered allegations of various forms of abuse. The adopted children reported being beaten with a cane by Brian and being locked in their bedrooms by Brian and the other adults.

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Child Protection Team (CPT) investigators conducted interviews with all nine of the children. According to deputies, allegations made 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

Based off of the CPT interviews and the DCF investigation, all four adults of the Griffeth home were arrested on July 22 and were transported to the Columbia County Detention Facility.

Children were adopted privately before moving to Florida

What they're saying:

"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 sheriff's office said.

 "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."

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office on July 25, 2025. 

FloridaCrime and Public SafetyNews