A Wake County mother and father are behind bars after investigators say they uncovered a teenager confined in a dog kennel and several children living in filthy, medically dangerous conditions. The pair was arrested at a Raleigh motel and remained jailed without bail as of Thursday morning. The court filings are already raising uncomfortable questions about how long the alleged abuse went on and when authorities first got word something was wrong.
According to court records, Rachel Leigh Galasso is charged in Wake County with two counts of negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of negligent child abuse resulting in serious physical injury. Investigators allege a teenager was kept in a dog kennel and found covered in feces, that two children had adult teeth removed and will require ongoing dental care, and that one child was treated for an E. coli infection. Officials also say at least one child was underfed to the point of being dangerously underweight and that another child’s untreated scoliosis will have lifelong consequences. The News & Observer reports that the arrest warrant details the injuries and alleged neglect.
Similar cases have surfaced across North Carolina
The allegations mirror other disturbing child neglect cases in North Carolina, including a Charlotte investigation in which authorities say a six-year-old was kept in a dog crate and later died. Local coverage of the Charlotte case detailed multiple welfare checks and growing concerns over whether earlier red flags were handled properly. That pattern has fueled public scrutiny of child welfare oversight and how aggressively such cases are prosecuted across the region, according to WBTV.
Charges and court dates
Court documents show Lacy Douglas Hocutt Jr. faces several counts of statutory rape, including three counts alleging rape of a child 15 or younger and six counts alleging statutory rape by an adult. The filings state some of the abuse began as early as October 2017 and continued over a period of years. Authorities say both defendants were taken into custody at a Raleigh motel and were scheduled for first appearances Thursday afternoon; they remained in jail without bail Thursday morning. The News & Observer reviewed the arrest paperwork and related court records detailing the charges.
What’s next
Records also show Hocutt had recently pleaded guilty to assaulting Galasso in a separate case and was under court-ordered restrictions. Investigators say he violated those conditions in January, leading to a separate arrest for violating pretrial release. For now, prosecutors and child welfare officials are sorting through the criminal allegations while the children remain in protective custody, with more details expected to emerge at upcoming court dates. According to public filings, the Wake County District Attorney’s office did not immediately return requests for comment.
