A mother in South Carolina was arrested after she allegedly allowed several men to sexually assault her two young daughters in exchange for money and drugs.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office took Helena Nichole Hoyle into custody on Friday, August 14, and she was charged with two counts of trafficking persons and two counts of child neglect.
Hoyle’s 4-year-old and 7-year-old daughters were interviewed by deputies, who concluded they had been sexually assaulted several times by unidentified men, according to an affidavit viewed by the Daily Mail.
Investigators first learned about the situation after they received a report of Hoyle’s eldest daughter being sexually assaulted.
While speaking to authorities, the child revealed that she and her younger sister had been sexually assaulted numerous times by different men.
Additionally, the younger sister allegedly told police that she witnessed her older sister being sexually assaulted.
Police wrote in the affidavit that the younger girl had “limited ability to articulate specific details about the assaults.” However, she “corroborated significant aspects” of the alleged abuse that she and her sister experienced.
Officials launched an investigation into Hoyle, 27, and authorities came to believe that she was in the room with the children at least one time while they were being assaulted. Authorities claimed that she sat on the floor and scrolled through TikTok on her phone as her children were being assaulted.
In addition to detailing the alleged sexual abuse, the children spoke to authorities about their extremely dirty living situation and their lack of care.
One of the girls told authorities that there were always dirty dishes in the sink and there was no running water in the home. Additionally, one of the victims said she did not brush her teeth or shower and she often went to sleep dirty.
Their home also allegedly didn’t have a bathroom, and the girls had to go to the bathroom in a bucket.
The girls continued to detail their lack of care, with one of them claiming she was never taken to the dentist after she chipped a tooth, per the affidavit.
After Hoyle was arrested, she was booked into Berkeley County Jail and her bail was set at $250,000.
It is not currently clear if Hoyle has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
