Photo: Wake County Sheriff's Office
In a disturbing case of child abuse, Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr., 34, and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, 33, were arrested in North Carolina on Wednesday (April 1) after six children were found living in squalid conditions. Among them was a 13-year-old boy who had been kept in a dog kennel, according to the Wake County Sheriff's Office.
The children, ranging in age from one to 15, were removed from the home in February after authorities received a tip-off. Prosecutors described the conditions as "filthy," with investigators needing protective gear to enter the premises. The children were reportedly suffering from serious health issues, including untreated scoliosis and severe dental neglect. One child was so underweight that it was considered life-threatening, and he was found with an E. coli infection from exposure to fecal matter in the kennel.
Hocutt faces charges of statutory rape, while Galasso is charged with negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily and physical injury. The couple was arrested at a Raleigh motel and are being held without bond. They are due back in court on April 23.