A disturbing scene at a popular North Carolina beach has led to criminal charges against two people for child abuse.
Police in Sunset Beach Christopher Lee and Lesley McClam after a 7-year-old girl was reportedly tortured in the surf.
Witnesses at the Sunset Beach Pier on Friday afternoon described a harrowing ten-minute ordeal. They say Lee held the young girl upside down by her legs, repeatedly dunking her head underwater while she screamed for him to stop. Investigators say the act was a form of "punishment" and that the child’s mother, McClam, stood by and failed to intervene.
Videos of the incident quickly began circulating on social media, sparking outrage across the community. Both Lee and McClam are now facing charges of misdemeanor child abuse.
The Sunset Beach Police Department is working alongside the Department of Social Services to ensure the child’s safety as the legal case moves forward.
