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A couple in North Carolina has been apprehended on charges of child abuse after authorities rescued six children from a home described as “filthy,” where one child was reportedly confined in a dog kennel.
Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr., aged 34, and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, aged 33, were arrested on Wednesday, facing accusations of abuse, neglect, and other grave offenses, as stated by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and reported by WRAL.
The pair appeared in court for the first time on Thursday. During the hearing, prosecutors described the alleged abuse as some of the most severe they had encountered in their careers.
According to WRAL, the six children, whose ages ranged from one to 15, were removed from the residence in February, each suffering from significant health issues.
The charges against Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr. and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso include abuse, neglect, and other serious violations. (Image courtesy of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office)
Multiple children will need to have teeth removed and are unable to eat without pain, prosecutors said.
One child, 13, was kept in a dog kennel, court documents show, according to WRAL.
The boy was considered to be “so grossly underweight that it was life-threatening,” according to the documents.
Prosecutors said six children, ranging in age from one to 15, were removed from the home. (Wake County Sheriff’s Office)
“He now rocks back and forth, and all he yells is, ‘You’re never getting out. You’re never getting out,’ which we can only assume is what was screamed at him while he was in there,” the assistant district attorney told a judge in court on Thursday, WRAL reported.
Another child’s scoliosis was left untreated to the point that she “will have to suffer from the condition for the remainder of her life,” according to documents.
Prosecutors also explained the extent of how filthy the home was.
A 13-year-old was kept in a dog kennel and was considered to be “so grossly underweight that it was life-threatening.” (Getty Images)
“When CPS and Wake County got involved and the sheriff’s office went out there, it was so filthy that investigators had to wear protective gear,” the assistant district attorney said.
The children also did not attend school, so none of them could read or write.
Hocutt and Galasso are being held without bond and are both due back in court on April 23.
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