Prosecutors say six children were removed after a February report, including a 13-year-old allegedly confined in a dog kennel.
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County couple is being held without bond after prosecutors said six children were removed from a southern Wake County home where one 13-year-old was allegedly kept in a dog kennel and found in what court records described as life-threatening condition.
The case has drawn attention in central North Carolina because of the number of children involved, the severity of the medical and educational problems described in court, and the mix of felony neglect and sex-crime charges now pending. Authorities say the children, who range in age from 1 to 15, were taken from the home after a February report of sexual abuse, child abuse and neglect. Prosecutors told a judge this week that every child removed from the residence had serious needs, and that the allegations rank among the worst local officials have seen.
According to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, investigators received the initial report on Feb. 20 and began looking into allegations centered in southern Wake County. After consulting with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office, deputies obtained warrants for Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr., 34, and Rachelleigh Marie Galasso, 33. The pair were arrested April 1 with help from the Garner Police Department, and local television reports said they were taken into custody at a Motel 6. They appeared before a judge the next day for their first court hearings. In court, an assistant district attorney said the conditions inside the home were so severe that investigators “had to wear protective gear” when they entered. That description set the tone for a hearing in which prosecutors laid out a case that, they said, involved years of neglect, untreated medical problems and, in Hocutt’s case, multiple rape counts.
The most serious allegations centered on a 13-year-old child whom prosecutors said was kept inside a dog kennel. Court records described the child as so underweight that the condition was deemed life-threatening. Local reports said investigators found the child covered in feces and suffering from an E. coli infection that required immediate medical treatment. Prosecutors also told the court that the teenager now rocks back and forth and repeats, “You’re never getting out,” words they said may reflect what was said during the confinement. The records and court statements described broader neglect throughout the home. Prosecutors said multiple children had severe dental problems and would need continuing treatment. Two children, according to the allegations aired in court, had adult teeth removed and could not chew solid food without pain. Authorities have not publicly identified which child corresponds to each count, and the full medical records of the children have not been released.
Beyond the kennel allegation, the case file described damage that prosecutors say built over years. Court statements said none of the children had received formal schooling and that none could read or write. Another allegation concerns a teen girl’s scoliosis. Prosecutors said the condition went untreated for so long that she will have to live with its effects permanently. Local reporting on the warrants said investigators believe some of the abuse stretched back more than four years. Separate reports also said one line of the sex-crime investigation traces to an alleged incident in October 2022, while other allegations involving Hocutt extend further back. Even with those details, important parts of the timeline remain unclear. Authorities have not publicly explained whether there were prior interventions at the home, whether any earlier complaints had been filed, or how long each child had been living in the specific conditions described at the first hearing.
Hocutt faces nine statutory rape counts, including three counts of statutory rape of a child under 15 and six counts of statutory rape of a child by an adult, according to the sheriff’s office and court records summarized in local coverage. Galasso is charged with four felony neglect counts, two alleging negligent child abuse causing serious physical injury and two alleging negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury. Both defendants were appointed public defenders at their first court appearance. Prosecutors asked that they be held without bond, and the court kept them jailed. Local reports said Hocutt could face a life sentence if he is convicted on the most serious charges. The next public milestone in the case is an April 23 court date. That hearing is expected to address how the felony charges proceed, while investigators and prosecutors continue reviewing evidence gathered from the home, medical findings involving the children and the records behind the warrants.
The case has also become a grim marker in a month when North Carolina groups are already focused on child abuse prevention. Sharon Hirsch, president of Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina, told ABC11 that neglect accounts for more than 80% of child abuse in the state. Rebekah Paredes, executive director of Safe Child NC, said her organization has seen reports rise year over year. Their comments did not address the guilt or innocence of Hocutt and Galasso, but they helped explain why the allegations jolted local advocates and court observers. This is not a case built around a single injury or one night of violence. As prosecutors described it, the investigation brought together allegations of chronic neglect, untreated illness, educational deprivation and sexual abuse inside one household. For now, the children are out of the home, the parents are in jail, and the court record is only beginning to show how wide the case may be.
As of the latest court hearing, Hocutt and Galasso remained in custody without bond and were due back in court April 23. That hearing is the next scheduled step in a case that has already moved from a February report to a broad felony prosecution involving six children and allegations of years of abuse.
Author note: Last updated April 4, 2026.