A North Carolina couple remains behind bars this week after authorities uncovered what prosecutors describe as a nightmare scenario involving six children, including a 13-year-old boy allegedly kept in a dog kennel.
Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr., 34, and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, 33, were arrested following a months-long investigation into their home, where children aged 1 to 15 were living in conditions so foul that investigators had to wear protective gear just to enter.
The investigation began in February and culminated in court appearances this Thursday. Hocutt faces nine counts of statutory rape, while Galasso is charged with four counts of negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.
Prosecutors told the court that the 13-year-old boy was found severely emaciated and covered in feces. He was suffering from a life-threatening E. coli infection at the time of his rescue.
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The emotional damage to the boy is reportedly as severe as his physical ailments.
“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,” an assistant district attorney said during the hearing.
The medical neglect extended to all the children in the home. One teenage girl’s scoliosis was reportedly ignored for so long that it progressed beyond the point of surgical repair, leaving her with a permanent disability.
Two other children had such extreme dental rot that several of their adult teeth had to be pulled; they are now reportedly unable to chew solid food without pain. Authorities also noted that none of the six children had ever attended school, leaving them unable to read or write.
Hocutt’s charges involve the alleged sexual abuse of a female child, with prosecutors stating the abuse began in 2017. During the proceedings, officials characterized the case as one of the most egregious examples of child torture they have encountered in their careers.
Both Hocutt and Galasso have been appointed public defenders and are being held without bond. They are due back in court on April 23, with Hocutt potentially facing a life sentence if convicted.
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