Child abuse charges have been filed against a Clarendon man after a intoxicated 14 year old girl was taken to the emergency room from a home described as “filthy”.
Shannon Cartrette, 52, was arrested Monday and charged with felony child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. He was held under a $5,000 secured bond. Detention Records gave his address as 137 Ward. Rd., Clarendon.
The sheriff’s office reported that the teen was brought in to Columbus Regional Oct. 8 for an involuntary commitment after attacking another family member. Hospital staff contacted detectives after the girl tested positive for alcohol, marijuana and Xanax. She reportedly “had not bathed in months,” the report said. Cartrette was also intoxicated when he brought her to the hospital.
The next day. Det. Van Etten went to the home as part of the investigation.
“Upon inspection, the home was found to be in an extreme state of neglect, with trash strewn throughout the living areas, an unsafe and collapsed kitchen floor, and filthy bathroom conditions,” the report said. The teen was sleeping on a “bare vinyl mattress on the living room floor,” and trash with “unidentifiable items” were throughout the house.
Feces and toilet paper were in the dining room, Which Cartrette told the detective was being used by the girl as a bathroom “due to the unsanitary state” of the bathroom.
Due to the health and safety hazards of the home, the teen will not be allowed to return there, the report said.
Cartrette was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor because he allowed the girl to consume alcohol and drugs, according to warrants, and felony child abuse because he allowed the girl to live in unsafe conditions.
