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Inset, left to right: Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr. and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso (Wake County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The home where the defendants allegedly abused their six kids (WRAL).
A couple from North Carolina faces serious allegations of child abuse, with accusations detailing some of the most appalling conditions prosecutors have encountered. The couple, 34-year-old Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr. and 33-year-old Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, were arrested this week and face multiple felony charges. Hocutt has been charged with nine counts of statutory rape, whereas Galasso faces four counts of negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily harm, according to court documents.
The alarming situation came to light following a report in February, which triggered an investigation. This led authorities to remove six children, aged 1 to 15, from the couple’s home. The investigation uncovered shocking details, particularly regarding a 13-year-old child who was allegedly kept in a dog kennel. This child was reportedly found in a severely underweight condition that posed a life-threatening risk.
Further revelations, reported by Raleigh-Durham’s NBC affiliate WRAL, indicated that when officials inspected the home in February, they discovered the 13-year-old covered in feces and suffering from an E. coli infection, necessitating urgent medical attention. The conditions within the home were so hazardous that investigators needed to wear protective gear to enter, highlighting the dire state of the environment.
The gravity of this case has struck a chord with prosecutors, who have described the abuse and neglect as extraordinarily severe, underscoring the critical need for intervention and justice for the affected children.
The disturbing details did not end there. Prosecutors described the conditions inside the residence as so unsanitary that investigators had to wear protective gear when entering.
“When CPS and the sheriff’s office went out there, it was so filthy that investigators had to wear protective gear,” an assistant district attorney said in court Thursday, according to WRAL.
Authorities also revealed the psychological toll the alleged abuse had on the children. The teenager who was allegedly confined in the kennel now exhibits troubling behavior.
“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 prosecutor told the court.
Additional allegations outlined in court records paint a broader picture of neglect. Multiple children reportedly suffered from severe dental issues to the point where they could not eat without pain and will require ongoing treatment.
Prosecutors also said none of the children had received any formal schooling and were unable to read or write.
The News & Observer reported that Galasso neglected a teen child’s scoliosis so severely that her condition is now “beyond the point that she can be treated with surgical intervention and will have to suffer from the condition for the remainder of her life.”
Another two children had such poor dental hygiene that they both had to have several of their adult teeth removed and reportedly cannot chew solid food without pain.
Hocutt is accused of sexually abusing one of the female children for years, with the first incident reportedly taking place in 2017, according to the News & Observer.
In court, prosecutors emphasized the severity of the case, describing the alleged conduct as some of the most egregious they have encountered.
Both defendants appeared in court Thursday and were appointed public defenders. If convicted, Hocutt is facing a possible life sentence.
The defendants are being held without bond and are scheduled to return to court on April 23.