Jefferson City man gets two years probation in child abuse case

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man pleaded guilty in connection with a child endangerment case filed in Dec. 2019.

Joseph Ciavarella was originally charged with endangering the welfare of a child but was later amended to a misdemeanor charge of second-degree child endangerment.

Ciavarella was accused of keeping a child in a locked closet and keeping food and water from the child.

Loretta Wilhelm is still facing felony endangering charges in this case.

The pair lived in the same house with the child, three of Wilhelm's children and one they had together deputies said.

Investigators say Wilhelm choked the child. In an interview with deputies, the child said Wilhelm would choke him for going through her things.