Neighbors Claim Toddler on the Run From Drug-Filled Home
Portsmouth neighbors asked officers to check on the welfare of a toddler they said was allowed to roam the streets unsupervised.
Callers also claimed that drug dealers were operating out of the child’s home and that they’d spotted the little one outside covered in feces before.
The residents of the home did allow officers inside to investigate. They said the child seemed fine, but did notify CPS about the drug allegations.
The Scioto County Jobs and Family Service Director, Tammy Moore, hasn’t given a public address since late April 2023. In that update, she gave these alarming numbers.
At that time, were 352 children in the agency’s care. Morton said Scioto County CPS received 561 complaints of neglect or abuse in the first three months of 2023. “The most alarming increase in those referrals is the increase in sexual abuse cases. This is shocking. We had 20 sexual abuse reports in January, 22 in February, and 45 in March.” (Some of those reports involved multiple children)
Morton said that all those complaints did not turn into active cases but that there’s still an overwhelming number of complaints to deal with. She said that this alarming increase isn’t limited to Scioto County. Other regional agency directors have reported that their numbers are on the rise.
The director said that Scioto County SVU was “hot and heavy” on dealing with these complaints and that she was very proud of the team’s efforts. “We’re really making a difference.”