Angry mother saying child was abused draws crowd and investigation, SC cops say
The actions of a parent worried about her child being a sex crime victim drew the attention of a crowd outside a South Carolina home as well as the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Now deputies are investigating reports of criminal sexual conduct, the sheriff’s department said Thursday in a news release.
The investigation started Tuesday after deputies responded to Lower Richland home where there were reports of a minor being sexually abused, according to the release. The home is on Leesburg Road near the Columbia area, according to a heavily-redacted incident report.
At 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, deputies saw a large group of people in the home’s front yard and met with multiple concerned parents, the incident report said. One of the parents was a visibly upset woman who approached the deputies and said her child was “touched inappropriately,” according to the incident report.
Information about who is accused of abusing the child, and the circumstances of the alleged criminal sexual conduct, was not available.
The mother said someone told her about “suspicious activity,” which prompted her to ask if anything inappropriate had happened, the incident report said. Information about who informed the mother, and who she asked about potential abuse was redacted from the incident report.
The mother said she arrived at the Leesburg Road home 5 minutes after learning of the allegation, according to the incident report.
After meeting with the mother and other parents, the sheriff’s department said it launched an investigation.
No arrests have been reported, but the investigation is ongoing, and the South Carolina Department of Social Services has been involved.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
In the case of an emergency, always call 911.
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This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 1:38 PM.
