How Could You? Hall of Shame- Mattie Brooks UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Seneca, South Carolina, “foster mother” Mattie Brooks, 58, “is charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child and one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.”

“According to an arrest warrant, Brooks mutilated the child, confined the child to a doghouse for hours and days at a time, caused the child to drink unsafe chemicals, burned the child and deprived the child of food and water.

The warrant said the abuse happened between February 1999 and December 2009 and involved a female child.

A separate warrant said Brooks engaged in sexual battery with a child when she was  between the ages of 5 and 8 years old in March 2004.

Brooks was arrested during a search at a home near downtown Seneca Thursday morning.

Covington said this is part of an investigation that has been going on for several months.”

Warrant: Upstate foster mother kept abused child in doghouse[Live News 5 12/19/13 by WYFF]

Mattie was charged with “0385-Sex / Criminal sexual conduct with minor or Attempt – victim under 11 yrs of age – First degree” and two counts of “2481-Children / Legal custodian, unlawful neglect of child or helpless person.”  She had a $20,000 bond each for 2481 and $960,000 bond for 0385. The Filed Date was 1/09/14.

“According to the arrest warrants, Brooks is accused of confining a girl to rooms, storage buildings and a dog house for hours and days at a time along with inflicting bodily harm, and causing the child to drink unsafe chemicals.

According to a second warrant, Brooks is accused of burning a boy with an iron object, confining the child to bedrooms, depriving the child of food and water and harming the boy.

Brooks is also accused of sexual battery with a girl who was between 5 and 8 years old at the time of the crime, according to the warrants. One warrant also states Brooks mutilated a child.

A State Law Enforcement Division background check revealed Brooks was convicted of two counts of unlawful neglect of a child previously in South Carolina.

Brooks is being held on $1 million bond and a clause in the bond says she is not allowed to be around anyone under the age of 18.

FOX Carolina obtained warrants and incident reports from a previous conviction of Brooks in 1999 where she was charged with unlawful neglect or abuse by a legal guardian.

According to the incident report, officers were called to an elementary school on Jan. 14, 1999 after DSS notified them of a child with welt marks on his body. The officer said they observed welt marks on the child’s legs, right arm. The report said the child was whipped with an electrical cord.

Marilyn Matheus, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, released a statement about Brooks on Thursday:

Ms. Brooks is not currently, nor has she ever been licensed by the State of South Carolina as foster parent. []The Department of Social Services is committed to protecting children in care. The Agency shares in the community’s outrage when any one hurts any child. We will continue to collaborate with law enforcement as appropriate.”

 

Bond set for Seneca woman accused of burning boy, locking kids up for days[Fox Carolina 1/16/14 by Casey Vaughn and Joseph Pereira]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: A Search of the South Carolina court records shows that she received a sentence of 125 days on 11/3/15.