A Moncks Corner mother pleaded guilty to child abuse this week after an officer reported that her 9-year-old autistic son was found living inside a locked bedroom with a boarded-up window, its floor covered in piles of dirty pull-up diapers. Stephanie Alexandra Williams entered her plea in Berkeley County Circuit Court, and a judge handed down a sentence of just one day, already served.
Guilty Plea Comes Months After Initial Charge
Williams pleaded guilty to the crime on Oct. 13, according to the Post and Courier, nine months after she was initially charged with endangering a child on Jan. 13. Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge Dale E. VanSlambrook ultimately sentenced her to one day of time served, the outlet reported.
The case centers on conditions an officer described as inhumane. Per the arrest warrant affidavit, an officer reported finding piles of dirty pull-up diapers leading to the child's bedroom, with the floor itself covered in the soiled diapers. The same affidavit noted a boarded-up window that blocked natural light from entering the room.
Bedroom Secured With Makeshift Locks
According to the affidavit, the bedroom where the child was found was secured by a makeshift door fitted with improvised locks at both the top and bottom. Police identified the child, who is autistic, as a victim of child abuse. Williams told investigators, per the affidavit, that her 9-year-old son stayed in the room.
South Carolina law spells out what separates ordinary parenting mistakes from criminal conduct. Under the statute cited by the South Carolina Legislature, a person who cruelly ill-treats a child, deprives a child of necessary sustenance or shelter, or inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in prison or a fine of up to $200 at a magistrate's discretion.
The one-day sentence followed Williams's guilty plea.
