DHS Worker, Wife Arrested After Kids Found Living In Filthy Conditions

A DHS worker and his wife were arrested in Yukon on child neglect charges, after authorities said the two and their five children were found living in “unbelievably unsanitary” conditions.

According to the Canadian County Sheriff's office, 41-year-old Lemerle Robinson, who is a Child Support Worker for DHS, and his wife 39-year-old Jenifer Robinson were taken into custody after a comprehensive report detailing a September 11, 2014 incident. 

The report indicates that investigators responded to the couple's home in Yukon to assist DHS with a child welfare check. Investigators said when they arrived at the home, they found out that the couple and their five children were living in “unbelievably unsanitary conditions.”

The couple reportedly apologized for the mess. Investigative reports described the hallway, bathroom, and the kids' bedrooms as all being covered in dirty clothes, trash, clutter and human feces covered with flies. In addition to there being no toilet paper, feces was reported to have been smashed into the carpet where it joined the bathroom linoleum.

Investigators also reported that the entire home was in an “unbelievable state of un-cleanliness and disarray,” with the bathtub being covered in black mold, the smell of urine and feces looming in the air, and clothes spread across the house that had dried feces on them, because there was no toilet paper to use.

The bedrooms where the children slept had piles of dirty clothes, spoiled food and trash. Authorities said the mattresses were bare, torn and tattered with no sheets for the kids to sleep on. 

The reports also indicated numerous flies and gnats swarmed the food and feces throughout the house.

Not only was there not enough food in the home to sustain the residents, deputies said the kitchen was covered in the same kind of filth and cluttered-ness as the rest of the home. In addition to food being splattered on the walls, floors and counter-tops, there were dirty dishes, trash, and old spoiled food laying about. 

According to the Sheriff's office, the insides of the freezer and refrigerator were covered in mold, mildew and other forms of nastiness that would hinder most anyone from eating anything from inside them.

Because of the severity of the homes condition, all five under-aged children were immediately removed from the residence and placed into protective custody, deputies said. 

"Words cannot express the disgust I have for any parent that would subject their children to these types of living conditions. While I'm appalled by the entire matter, I'm pleased my deputies were able to get the children out of such a horrendous environment," said Randall Edwards, Canadian County Sheriff.

Investigators submitted their reports to the District Attorney's Office and five felony counts of Child Neglect were issued against each of the parents. Lemerle and Jenifer were both taken into custody at their home in Yukon Thursday evening. They were transported to the Canadian County Jail and booked in with bond set at $10,000 each. If convicted, they face one year to life in prison.