Child Sex Offender, Girlfriend, Charged With Neglect After Young Children Found Living in Filth
Share this @internewscast.com

A couple from Tennessee faces charges of child neglect after a police wellness check revealed two young children living in appalling conditions.

Leon Woods, 65, and Carol Phillips, 32, had an argument on Friday night that somehow reached Woods’ adult daughter, prompting her to contact the police, as reported by WTVC.

Investigators discovered that Woods had a criminal history, having previously pleaded guilty to raping a 10-year-old girl in Tennessee and molesting a 4-year-old girl in Georgia this past May.

When officers arrived on Friday, they found the path to the front door obstructed by tables, as detailed in an affidavit. They resorted to knocking on a window to alert those inside.

The officers reported a strong odor of rotting food and body odor emanating from the residence. They also observed roaches infesting the porch area, with some even crawling onto the officers.

Upon opening the door, Woods and Phillips acknowledged their argument, explaining it stemmed from Woods attempting to clean while Phillips was trying to sleep.

Through the open door, the officers saw a child clad in a diaper crawling on the floor, which was covered in roahes and some kind of sticky residue. Woods told the officers there was another child in the house and let them in to check the house.

The affidavit said the house was fully infested with roaches and was cluttered, with several full trash bags all over the house. They found the other child — a 1-year-old — lying face down on a filthy single mattress in a bedroom

The affidavit said the room was filthy with no clear walkway throughout. There were nails in easy reach of the child, and the window had a gate over it.

Woods again told the officers that he was trying to clean the house but Phillips wouldn’t let him.

When officers asked if the children had food, he took them to the kitchen, where he struggled to open the refrigerator door. When he got it open, officers saw roaches inside the appliance, crawling over what food there was.

Neighbors told WTVC that the couple had been reported to the state multiple times in previously months.

“This child would just scream, and we would report it, and the police would go, and then the police would leave, and I never understood why nothing was getting done,” a neighbor said, noting that she had filed a report in October and again earlier this month, showing the station the documentation.

Chattanooga Police said they had been called to the home on November for a report of a missing 2-year-old, but the child was found by the time they arrived. They were called again in October for something else not related to the children, but the officer supposedly made a report to child protective services about the condition of the home.

Woods and Phillips have been charged with aggravated child neglect, while Woods is also facing a violation of his sex offender charges. The two children were removed from the home.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Shocking Ohio Case: Man Posing as Teen Targets Vulnerable Kids in Online Exploitation

A Middletown man, aged 53, is facing a lengthy prison sentence after…

Family Ties Under Scrutiny: Fiancé and Sister Charged in Case of Missing Pregnant Woman

Inset left to right: Richard Falor, Kimberly Park and Rebecca Park (Wexford…

Court Delivers Verdict for Man Convicted of Stabbing 11-Year-Old at Sleepover

Inset: Ricardo Perez Castillo appears in a booking photo (Kent County Sheriff”s…

Urgent Search for Missing Alabama Brothers, Ages 6 and 7: Police Request Public Assistance

The Autauga County Sheriff’s Office is reaching out to the community for…

Probation Violation: Man Arrested with 125 Grams of Marijuana Sparks Legal Controversy

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours today, authorities apprehended…

Shocking Family Violence: 70-Year-Old Man Arrested for Assaulting 95-Year-Old Mother

Inset: John Earl Black (Lee County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The 9000 block…

Authorities Report 15-Year-Old Suspect in Shooting of Bicyclist with Taurus 9mm

Inset: Tommy Lagree (Orange County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The 4900 block of…

Police Report: Woman Stabbed Following Cigarette Request

Inset: Pamela Puskar (McCabe Funeral Home). Background: Glenn Whittier being escorted to…

Florida Man Unleashes Wild Encounter: Deputies Doused with Bear Repellent in Unbelievable Standoff

Inset: Kyle Young (Indian River County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The highway where…

Thanksgiving Tragedy: Man Sets Neighbor’s Home Ablaze, Police Report

Inset: Ora Wallace (Vernon County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The home on County…

Unveiling Secrets: Exclusive Interview with Maureen ‘Cookie’ Rowan’s Daughter on the Little Miss Panasoffkee Cold Case

Press release from TheColdCases.com GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a poignant revelation, TheColdCases.com…

Mother and Partner Face Charges in Infant’s Tragic Death

Inset left top to bottom: Elizabeth LynnLanor Hogan and Devin Austin Brown-Fowler…