Two North Carolina parents, Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr., 34, and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, 33, have been charged with severe child‑abuse and sexual‑abuse crimes after their six children were removed from a filthy home where at least one was kept in a dog kennel.
Alleged abuse and living conditions
- Authorities say the children, ages 1 to 15, were denied schooling and cannot read or write; they also suffered serious medical issues, including a 13‑year‑old boy so underweight his condition was life‑threatening and a girl with untreated scoliosis that will cause lasting disability. [web]
- Prosecutors say the 13‑year‑old spent time confined in a dog kennel, became visibly traumatized, and now rocks back and forth while repeating, “You’re never getting out,” which they believe reflects what was done to him.
Health and home conditions
- Multiple children have severe dental problems, with some unable to eat without pain and facing future tooth extractions, and several other untreated health issues.
- The house was so filthy that investigators had to wear protective gear when they first entered, and the conditions were described as so bad that officials needed special equipment just to safely enter the residence.
Charges and legal status
- Hocutt is charged with three counts of statutory rape of a child under 15 and six counts of statutory rape of a child by an adult, which could carry a potential life sentence. Galasso faces two counts of negligent child abuse involving serious physical injury and two counts of negligent child abuse involving serious bodily injury.
- Both are being held without bond, and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office has stated that, due to the case’s sensitive nature, no further details will be released at this time.
