A North Carolina couple is under arrest and charged with felony child abuse after maggots were found in the diaper of an 18-month-old child in their care. The toddler was found to be one of seven children under the age of six living with the couple, said authorities in North Carolina.
According to Lexington police, officers performing a welfare check at a home last Friday discovered the children “malnourished and unclean.” Capt. Michael Hunt said officers encountered an “overwhelming smell of feces and urine” when they entered the dwelling.
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The Dispatch of Lexington reports police also charged 25-year-old Jamie Leigh Hiatt and 26-year-old Michael Patrick McKnight with misdemeanor child abuse. source
At approximately 10:20 p.m. on Friday officers responded to 410 Irma Avenue after receiving a request for a welfare check on several children at the house.
Hunt stated that two officers made contact with the two adults in the home and asked to see the children. He said upon entering the home, officers discovered seven children, all under the age of six years, that were malnourished and unclean.
“As soon as the officers walked in, they reported an overwhelming smell of feces and urine,” Hunt said. “The overall condition of the home was nasty; the living conditions were extremely poor. The malnutrition had been taking place for quite some time. From the condition of the children, it was apparent this was an unclean environment.”
Hunt said the officers described the living condition as “extremely poor.”
Hunt stated that the two officers immediately contacted EMS because of the condition of the children. They also contacted the Department of Social Services to investigate the case.
The couple was jailed on $100,000 bond each.