A North Texas mother faces up to 60 years in prison after admitting to abusing her child by fabricating illnesses. Jesika Jones, 32, was accused of overdosing her 4-year-old child with Benadryl and prescription medications to induce seizure-like symptoms. She repeatedly took her child to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, claiming the child was experiencing seizures.
In July 2022, Jones was charged with Munchausen syndrome by proxy—a disorder where a caregiver fakes another person’s medical symptoms for attention. On January 10, Jones pleaded guilty to four felonies: one count of injury to a child with serious bodily injury and three counts of endangering a child.
Judge Steve Jumes, who sentenced Jones, expressed concerns about her behavior continuing, stating, “I believe you are a determined recidivist… I’m not confident giving you a prison sentence simply to [go] beyond a traditional dating range will protect the public.” Jones received a 60-year prison sentence.
During the victim impact statement, Jones’s ex-husband, Derek Jones, addressed her directly in court. He described the deep emotional scars left on their children, who had their childhoods overshadowed by fake illnesses and hospital visits. “What you did was not just an act of cruelty; it was a devastating assault on their innocence,” he said.
Derek Jones expressed that the sentencing was appropriate and acknowledged the ongoing recovery of his children. He shared his own trauma of discovering the deception, noting, “Sleepless nights of worrying about them and come to find out it was all made up. She was making them have seizures. I can’t fathom why somebody would want to do that.”
Both Derek Jones and his attorney highlighted that cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy are more common than generally realized and require greater attention. “These cases do need to be taken better care of. They need to have more light shone on them. Our kids matter,” Derek Jones stated.
If you suspect abuse or neglect of a child, adult, or elder, state law requires you to report it. You can contact local police or the Texas Department of Family Services Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400, available 24/7. Non-emergency reports can also be filed online.
