LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Matt Bevin's adoptive son has been granted an emergency protective order against the former Kentucky governor.

According to court documents, Jonah Bevin filed the complaint Friday for an emergency protective order against his adoptive father.

A Jefferson County judge granted the order hours later, banning the former governor from any contact or communication with Jonah pending a March 19 court hearing. The order also requires him to stay at least 500 feet away from Jonah.

Additionally, Matt Bevin has to temporarily surrender his firearms to the Jefferson County sheriff due to a Kentucky law that requires defendants under a protective order do so.

According to the protective order, Jonah said he has been subjected to years of mental and physical abuse by his adoptive parents, Matt Bevin and his estranged wife, Glenna Bevin. The order goes on to say that Jonah is "scared, and afraid that his life is in danger," especially now that he has spoken out about the abuse he has suffered in an article by the Kentucky Lantern.

In that article, Jonah described his time at a youth facility in Jamaica that his adoptive parents sent him to when he was 17. At the facility, he said he experienced severe physical and mental abuse and neglect, including torture techniques like waterboarding. 

Jonah said in the protective order that "Glenna Bevin would slap and hit me and often reference my biological mother, who I was believed was dead, and say disrespectful things like she was a w**re, and I was never going to see her."

Jonah also recounted an incident from 2024, when he bought a dog and was afraid his dad would hurt it. He said in the complaint his dad "threatened to euthanize it to get me to comply with his directives."

The order also cites another incident in 2024, where Jonah said he was in a physical altercation with his dad and was arrested.

Jonah stated his dad told him "I can take your life," and "I can make your life miserable." It was shortly after this incident, the order said, that Jonah was sent to the Jamaican facility.

Eventually, Jamaican child welfare officials removed eight youth, including Jonah, and shut the facility down. Jonah said he was placed in the custody of Jamaican child welfare after "my American adoptive family refused to plan for my return to the U.S.," according to the protective order. 

Since leaving Jamaica, Jonah has been bouncing around different programs throughout the country, most recently in Utah. He said in the order that he has wanted to come back to Kentucky for a while, but was scared for his own safety. 

This story may be updated.

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