A Herbster woman has been sentenced to prison for charges of abuse and false imprisonment of a boy.

Brianne Nicoletti, 35, fed the boy she adopted only once a day -- not at all some days -- locked him in his room for long periods of time, struck him with metal objects and prevented him from going to the bathroom.

In front of a packed courtroom on Oct. 15, Bayfield County Circuit Court Judge John P. Anderson called Nicoletti "a dangerous individual" and said the environment Nicoletti created felt like a "concentration camp."

He sentenced her to 25 years initial incarceration and 20 years of extended supervision.

Nicoletti pleaded no contest in a sentencing hearing in July, but Anderson didn't accept the plea. She later changed her plea to guilty.

She was convicted of one count of child abuse intentionally causing great bodily harm, neglecting a child causing great bodily harm, causing mental harm to a child, and false imprisonment. Six other charges were dismissed but read in.

The case began after Child Protective Services contacted the Bayfield County Sheriff's Office after a report from another child in Nicoletti's care said the victim was grounded and that there was a lock on his door with him inside.

Investigators went to Nicoletti's residence and one recognized the boy. The boy had lost weight and had "sunken cheeks/eyes and was emaciated." He also had several wounds on the his face, hands and neck.

They took the boy to Tamarack health, where he was later admitted due to concerns about his condition. Staff found he had lost 17 pounds since July 2022, weighing in at 70 pounds and was "well below normal growth chart." There was evidence of muscle wasting between his ribs and two open wounds on his back. When asked about the wounds, the boy said he developed an inexplicable behavior of sneaking and hiding food. The victim told investigators he was locked in his room a lot because he couldn't be trusted around the house because he was stealing food.

The boy told a Marshfield Clinic Forensic and Service Coordinator that he was generally given one meal a day, usually cereal. On the remaining two days a week, he received no food at all.

He went on to say his relationship with Nicoletti got worse over the summer of 2023. The boy described sneaking around the house and taking food. Over time this became the only food he was permitted to eat. That evolved to being locked in his room on a regular basis with even less food. If caught trying to take food, the boy said Nicoletti would sometimes strike his hands with a metal hollow tube.

Concerns were reported previously. In October the boy arrived at school with a black eye, which was reported. Later that month a caller was concerned with the boy not being in school and his substantial weight loss.

After that report was made, Nicoletti pulled the boy out of school and enrolled him in online classes. When asked why he was pulled from school, the boy said school officials were concerned about him and gave him food at school upsetting Nicoletti. In November 2023, when he had taken a can of refried beans, Nicoletti reportedly caught him eating, grabbed the can and smashed the rough edges into his face. That incident left scars visible during the Jan. 15 interview.

On Nov. 23, the boy ran away from home because he didn't feel safe and knew he wasn't getting enough to eat. Nicoletti's boyfriend found him and brought back to be locked in his bedroom. Nicoletti then cut up parts of the boy's winter coat so that he would be more exposed to the elements if he tried to leave again.

The boy was receiving counseling during this time at NorthLakes Community Clinic. In April, a report was made to the Bayfield County DHS concerning psychological abuse by Nicoletti toward the victim. The reporter was concerned because the boy was scared to say how he was truly feeling and that the boy is psychologically damaged because nothing he does is ever good enough and is "grounded constantly." Shortly after the report was made, Nicoletti stopped taking him to get counseling because the boy was being "dishonest."

Looking back at the case, Assistant District Attorney Lynne Van Hollen admitted during the hearing that "a lot of flags got deflected" and "the system failed." The defendant singled out the victim and her actions "dehumanized" him, Van Hollen said.

Nicoletti controlled every aspect of his life, even the lights in his room. Over time, punishments inflicted on him became normal and were accepted. To Nicoletti, the boy stole food to defy her, not because he was hungry, Van Hollen said. Nicoletti admitted she didn't address the weight loss with the boy because she didn't want to "body shame" him, Van Hollen said.

In a text to her boyfriend, Nicoletti told him she was annoyed with the child. When asked what he did, she responded, "breathing." When law enforcement came to take child away, she was concerned because she lost control of him.

By defecating in his room, Nicoletti thought he was defying her, Van Hollen said.

"She's not human. (He was) placed with a monster," Van Hollen said. "In her mugshot, she's smiling. I've never seen this. She has not expressed any remorse."

Nicoletti's attorney, Kenneth Ryder, said Nicoletti isn't a monster. He said she's a person who has mental health struggles.

Nicoletti takes responsibility and is asking for a prison sentence, Ryder said. She has no prior criminal record and this was her first offense. She was a good mother to her other children, Ryder said, before conceding that doesn't make the circumstances any better.

Upon being evaluated, Nicoletti was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She didn't understand her mental health struggles at the time, Ryder said.

Nicoletti apologized for her actions, saying if she could go back in time, she would have handled everything differently.

"I love all my children. I feel terrible," she said. "I promise to do the best I can to make changes. I want to be a better person."

The victim's current foster mom said he has been in her care since December 2023. At the beginning, he was so weak he could barely walk and had bed sores from sleeping on the floor so much.

Now, he has a healthy relationship with food and likes to cook. He does well in school, is very social and has a positive attitude, Jennifer said.

In a letter read aloud, the boy said he still has scars from Nicoletti that serve as a reminder of what happened. Nicoletti took everything that brought him joy -- basketball, school, friends, he said. The boy hoped Nicoletti would be prevented from ever doing this again and said he is afraid for his siblings.

Sentencing Nicoletti to probation would deter the seriousness of the matter, Anderson said, adding that this was "one of the most disturbing cases I've ever seen." After looking at all the evidence, Anderson said Nicoletti's property is like "Bayfield County's Concentration Camp."

"This is one of the saddest moments in Bayfield County," he said.

Anderson told Nicoletti he didn't believe a word she said. Sociopaths usually don't have criminal records because they know how to get away with stuff, he said.

"Who do you think you are?" he asked her. "I'm not stupid. Come on. You know what you did, over and over again. (You're) sorry you got caught."

Anderson said he usually tells the defendant "good luck" after issuing a sentence. This time, however, he told Nicoletti "I won't say that to you."

"You don't deserve it," he said, then he told the rest of the courtroom to "go home and hug your kids."