Trigger Warning: This article mentions disturbing details about child abuse.
Florida saw a significant number of child abuse cases, including negligence and assault, in 2025. Despite increased awareness and legal action, such cases have continued into 2026.
In early January, a young Florida couple was arrested after their five-month-old twins were hospitalized in critical condition due to severe malnutrition.
Leroy Somersall III, 24, and Madison Smith, 23, were taken into custody on January 6, 2026, and charged with child neglect causing significant bodily harm.
According to The Mirror U.S., authorities reported that the twins, a boy and a girl, were undernourished to the extent that medical staff could visibly spot prominent bones in the baby boy’s body.
Child Protective Services alerted law enforcement after receiving a tip about possible neglect. When deputies arrived at the hospital earlier this month, doctors confirmed that both infants were severely dehydrated and underfed to the point where “you can see every bone in his body.”
Two parents are facing serious child neglect charges after their 5-month-old twins were found severely malnourished and in critical condition at a Seminole County RV. https://t.co/QgPfdRspGV
— News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) January 14, 2026
The male twin weighed just 5.7 pounds at five months old. Both babies had been born prematurely, in August 2025. Investigators said Smith tested positive for THC at the time of delivery.
She told police that she and Somersall brought the babies to the hospital after noticing their son had become unresponsive.
According to The Daily Express U.S, Madison Smith claimed a paediatrician initially instructed them to feed the twins 70 to 80 millilitres of formula every two hours. She admitted she had not followed up with the doctor since the babies were new-borns.
The mother said they fed the infants the same amount, though the quantity should have increased as the babies grew. The parents also told investigators they believed a vague notion that the babies were naturally thin because Somersall is slim.
However, a search of the family’s RV during the January 2026 investigation reportedly found no baby formula. Police say the twins are improving and are expected to survive.
Doctors have not ruled out the possibility of long-term neurological damage caused by prolonged malnutrition.
Both parents are being held at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility on a $100,000 bond. Their first court appearance is scheduled for March 3, 2026.
This case is just one example of a troubling trend of child neglect reported in recent years.
In 2024, a couple from Utah was accused of leaving their child alone for long hours, confining her to a crib filled with garbage and stale food as her condition deteriorated.
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Carrie Marie Murray and Mitchell Chesnut Murray were arrested on November 3, 2024, after their daughter, Ruby Marie Murray, was found unresponsive around 10:30 a.m. on March 19, 2024.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that Ruby’s crib contained several sippy cups and pieces of Eggo-style waffles. The area was unclean, with stale food present, and underneath the mattress, officers found trash, wrappers, and more waffle crumbs. The room was kept at an odd temperature, and she was not always fed on time.
Ruby reportedly ate about three times a day, with occasional snacks, and had eaten baby food only once or twice. Most of the time, her diet consisted of only toasted waffles.
According to the National Children’s Alliance, in 2024, Children’s Advocacy Centers around the country served some 372,613 kids experiencing allegations of abuse and neglect, among other offences.
