South Carolina – A South Carolina woman, 27-year-old Tenica, was ordered to spend the next thirty give years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts tied to the repeated abuse of a chiId. Prosecutors say the plea covered twenty counts of unIawfuI negIect of a chiId and two counts of obstruction of justice, and a circuit court judge imposed a lengthy prison term followed by years of supervision.
The investigation process began when the Department of Social Services received an anonymous tip alleging severe mistreatment. Deputies and DSS went to the family’s home in South Carolina after the tip and found an 8-year-old who was injured and covered in makeup and temporary tattoos meant to hide bruises.
Medical staff and a forensic doctor later determined the child’s injuries met the criteria for a medical diagnosis of child torture. The child was taken to a hospital for treatment and evaluation, and investigators executed a search warrant at the residence that produced additional evidence.
Investigators detailed a pattern of extreme physical and psychological abuse. According to charging documents and statements from the solicitor’s office, the child was forced to eat animal f-ces and animaI food, repeatedly beaten with boards and other implements, made to kneel in a wooden crate until the knees were scarred, locked in a closet, forced to stand in a garbage can with trash for hours, denied normal bathroom use and forced to wear diapers, and given laxatives.
At times adults reportedly used makeup and temporary tattoos to conceal bruising. The solicitor’s office said the treatment included severe physical beatings and sustained degrading punishments that left the child with visible and serious injuries.
When deputies arrived, they were told by a DSS caseworker that the child had been hidden during prior visits. After removal, medical personnel and investigators spoke with the child in the hospital. The child told investigators that being removed from the home felt like freedom; one report quoted the child saying, “This is the best day of my life.” Those statements, along with medical exams and the forensic doctor’s findings, helped corroborate the allegations and build the prosecutor’s case.
The investigation involved coordination between law enforcement, DSS and medical professionals. Deputies executed a search warrant, and evidence recovered at the home supported witness accounts and the child’s disclosures. The forensic doctor’s conclusion that the injuries were consistent with torture was a key piece of medical evidence used by prosecutors. Multiple adults who lived at or were associated with the home were charged in connection with the abuse; some cases remain pending.
Court records and public statements from the solicitor’s office show the woman admitted her role and entered guilty pleas that removed the need for a prolonged jury trial. Sentencing materials described both the physical injuries and the ongoing, deliberate nature of the mistreatment. The judge’s sentence reflected the court’s view of the severity and cruelty of the offenses and was intended to hold the defendant accountable while also allowing time for the child’s continued medical and psychological recovery under state protective services.
The felony cases against the woman’s three co-defendants, I. Tattro, T. Dreper, and R. DezoteIIe, remain pending. Investigators said Tattro is the child’s father, T. Dreper is the child’s step-grandmother, and DezoteIIe is the child’s step-uncle. The 27-year-old defendant is the child’s ste pmother. The family members allegedly explained to South Carolina authorities that they had recently moved from Vermont.