Ask Joe: parents plead guilty in Silver Springs neglect case

Reno, NEV — John and Rhonda Hesselgesser have each pleaded guilty to child neglect/abuse following an investigation by News 4 that started when a viewer reached out last May to express concerns about the conditions at the home where the family lives.

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office obtained a search warrant after we reached out to them and investigators documented filthy conditions and no running water in the home. News 4 confirmed independently that there had been no running water at the home for five months.

Here's what happened after our initial story aired in May:

-The Sheriff's office obtained a search warrant and launched an investigation.

-Brittany Harrell, the woman who brought her concerns to News 4 and appeared in our story, was later fired from her job with Lyon County Human Services.

-Harrell then filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lyon County, claiming she was retaliated against.

-Both Hesselgesser parents pleaded guilty and now await sentencing.

-Authorities in Emmett Idaho have reopened an investigation into a 20 year old sexual abuse claim filed against John Hesselgesser by one of his children in 2003.We found the case was lost as it was transferred from Lyon County to Emmett Police. The mayor and police chief in Emmett say they are not treating it as a brand new investigation after we brought our questions to them. Authorities say John Hesselgesser was uncooperative when they tried to question him in 2003 and he has declined to comment to News 4.

News 4 also documented dozens of complaints to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services dating back to 2003 but its unclear whether the state ever conducted a thorough investigation.The Hesselgesser children say they were never contacted by anyone at DCFS.

It turns out this story has many layers that have unfolded since a viewer reached out to us originally.We will continue to push for answers.

As always, if you have questions, feel free to reach out to me at jhart@mynews4.com and I'll do my best to investigate.