In a recent court appearance, an Ohio mother faced serious allegations related to medical abuse and was formally charged with child endangerment. Jennifer Parker, aged 43, stood before the judge to declare her innocence, pleading not guilty to accusations of endangering her young son.

Prosecutors allege that Parker engaged in a disturbing pattern of behavior known as “hospital shopping,” bringing her son, who is now two years old, to various medical facilities for conditions he purportedly did not have. This series of events, which dates back to the boy’s infancy, has resulted in over 20 hospital visits, according to Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Lindsay Sheehan. Sheehan presented her case in court, highlighting that since Parker’s children were removed from her care in May, the young boy has not required any further hospitalizations and is reportedly thriving in his new environment.

The court heard serious concerns raised by two prominent Ohio hospitals—Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic—regarding Parker’s alleged misconduct. Hospital staff reportedly noted numerous incidents suggesting interference with her son’s medical treatment. Allegations included potentially tampering with feeding lines and administering unnecessary insulin or glucose to the child, despite a lack of medical need for such interventions.

Sheehan further questioned the necessity of a feeding tube that Parker insisted her son required. She claimed that medical evaluations suggested the child exhibited the capability to eat orally, yet Parker allegedly resisted moving him off the feeding tube. These actions, as outlined by Sheehan, indicate a troubling pattern of inappropriate medical care.

When it came to the feeding tube, Sheehan raised doubts that the boy even needed one. She said medical staff allegedly provided “multiple instances where the mother was not providing appropriate medical care, despite her child showing all instances and ability, for instance, not to have a feeding tube, and she was refusing to move him off that feeding tube and provide oral feeds.”

In a Facebook post from Nov. 10, Parker defended herself, saying that she was not the only parent that Cincinnati Children’s Hospital staff complained about. Parker wrote, “One parent not only was accused of the exact same thing by the exact same inpatient team, but we have the exact same complex pediatrician. I know there’s more people. I know there are more mothers and parents and grandparents who are suffering the same allegations.”

Michael Carpenter, Parker’s fiance and the father of the boy at the center of the case, defended Parker to local media outlets, telling WLWT after court that Parker was “a caring mother that wanted the best for her children.” He said that their son had been suffering from health issues since birth, and they had trouble finding the right care for him.

Parker was arrested on Monday and is currently in custody at Butler County Jail, where she is being held on $50,000 bond. She pleaded not guilty to three counts of child endangerment. She was ordered not to contact any of her children, who were taken away from her by Butler County Children Services. Her next court date, a plea or trial setting, is scheduled for Nov. 24.