Pontiac mom Kelli Bryant sentenced for child abuse
(FOX 2) - The 35-year-old Pontiac woman accused of abandoning her kids to live in a squalid apartment was sent to prison for years.
Judge Mary Ellen Brennan sentenced Kelli Bryant for six to 30 years after she pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse over the summer. The conclusion of the case follows more than a year of court hearings, separate fraud charges, and bond revocations.
Kelli Bryant Child Abuse
Bryant was first arrested in February 2025 after Oakland County Sheriff deputies found her three children living in filth in a Pontiac apartment. They were discovered in the condominium after living by themselves for four years.
On Tuesday, Bryant was told she "failed" her kids, by the judge.
What they're saying:
"There are things that you need to hear to, and I think that there is going to come a day…I believe that there is going to come a day, ma'am, when you comprehend what happened and you will be inconsolable for a period of time," Brennan said.
She continued:
"You, your sacred responsibility as their mother, to provide for them emotionally, financially, physically. And that is not a shared sacred responsibility. You failed them and you failed them hour after hour and day after day and month after month and year after year."
The backstory:
In February 2025, Bryant’s three children were discovered living in squalor — alone — for four years after the landlord of the Pontiac condo requested a welfare check.
Police found a home full of garbage, along with mold and human waste. Inside was a 15-year-old boy and two girls, 12 and 13.
The boy told police they had been living at the home for years and rarely left the apartment.
The children survived on food that had been dropped off on the front porch each week by either Bryant or another stranger.
Investigators said they had no access to toilet paper or personal hygiene items. The sheriff said they were unfamiliar with personal hygiene and didn't even know how to flush a toilet.
What resulted was a long saga of court appearances and mental competency requests, leading to contentious hearings as well as stalling allegations to delay proceedings.
That led to her being jailed by the judge who revoked her bond after Bryant voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility only days before one of the hearings was scheduled.
Kelli Bryant jailed after having bond revoked
Kelli Bryant appeared in court after voluntarily checking herself into a treatment facility only days before the latest hearing was scheduled to take place. During her previous hearing, the judge warned the request for an exam appeared to be a tactic to avoid going to trial. On Thursday, she said her concerns were validated, and she had Bryant taken into custody. Bryant had checked herself into treatment facility prior to the scheduled exam.
When Bryant's parent rights were terminated, testimony revealed that the children had been making progress, living in a nurturing environment and going to school.
At the time, prosecutors revealed all three were having struggles with PTSD, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities.
Bryant previously pleaded no contest to welfare fraud in December, 2025. The welfare fraud charges arrived a month after her arrest for allegedly collecting overpayments from the health department.
More Kelli Bryant coverage:
- Pontiac mom jailed after having bond revoked for failing to appear for competency exam
- Pontiac mother accused of leaving children in squalor has parental rights terminated
- Pontiac mom charged with abandoning kids accused of delay tactic in court
- Pontiac mother accused of abandoning her kids pleads no contest to welfare fraud
Welfare fraud guilty plea
Dig deeper:
While investigating Bryant, prosecutors found the mother had also committed fraud by cashing welfare checks sent to her for the purpose of providing for her kids.
On Dec. 1, she pleaded guilty to the charges.
The Source: Previous reporting was cited for this story.