A mother has been arrested after police say she permitted unknown men to sexually abuse her two young daughters in exchange for cash and drugs inside a squalid “hell-house”.
Arrest and Investigation
Helena Nichole Hoyle, 27, from Bonneau, South Carolina, USA, was taken into custody on August 14 following what investigators described as a direct child abuse investigation by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. According to reports, deputies were first alerted on August 3 after receiving a deeply disturbing complaint relating to the sexual assault of a four-year-old girl.
Investigators then interviewed the alleged victim and her seven-year-old sister. An arrest affidavit, cited in reports, says both children disclosed they had been sexually assaulted multiple times by several unidentified men on separate occasions.
Allegations and Charges
The document alleges Hoyle deliberately gave the men access to her daughters in order to profit, receiving money and illegal drugs in return. Police say the four-year-old could not give the same level of detail as her older sister because of her age, but still confirmed that multiple men had inappropriately touched both girls. She also told officers she witnessed her sister being sexually assaulted, the affidavit said, Local 12 reported.
Following the interviews and evidence gathering, Hoyle was arrested and booked into custody. Jail records reportedly show she has been charged with two counts of felony trafficking in persons and two counts of felony child neglect (neglect by a legal custodian). Hoyle remains in custody at the Berkeley County Jail, WCSC reported.
Bail and Ongoing Investigation
A judge reportedly set total bail at $250,000 (about £195,000), made up of $75,000 for each trafficking charge (about £58,500 each) and $50,000 for each neglect charge (about £39,000 each). Authorities say the investigation is ongoing as officers work to identify and arrest the men accused of carrying out the abuse, Live 5 News reported.
