UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The boy at the center of the 2013 Wanda Larson child abuse case is now a teenager. He's 14 years old and living with his biological mother.
"He's in the seventh grade. His grades are getting better. He's happier. He has lots of friends. He still has his days. You know ,he has trust issues, but he's working on it," his mother told Whistleblower 9's Paul Boyd.
Wanda Sue Larson, a former Union County Department of Social Services supervisor, and her boyfriend Dorian Lee Harper both pleaded guilty to multiple child abuse charges while caring for the boy in their foster home.
Harper admitted to cutting the boy's face with a knife, burning him with an electrical wire and handcuffing the boy to the porch with a dead chicken around his neck.
Dorian Harper remains in prison, but Larson is free on parole.
The boy's mother said he is still terrified of Larson.
"We still struggle at home. Still nightmares. Still worrying about if she's there," she said.
Whistleblower 9 has learned that the boy’s family is about to file a civil law suit against Larson. The Channel 9 investigation found that Larson doesn't have an active legal address for them to serve those court papers.
Channel 9 is asking where Larson is and if she following the conditions of her parole.
Larson's home in Monroe, where the abuse took place, went through foreclosure last year and is now listed for sale.
Records show her Post Office box in Monroe hasn't been active for two months.
One source told Whistleblower 9 that Larson shows up to a parole office in Monroe once every month but that's about all that is known about her whereabouts.
Channel 9 called North Carolina's Department of Public Safety and were told that Larson remains under its supervision and has no parole violations.
She's not allowed to have any contact with children under 15 unless supervised.
Officials declined to provide information as to how closely Larson is being monitored.
The victim’s mother said her son believes Larson should still be in jail.
"He doesn't understand how is it, that she's out,” the mother said. “He gets so angry that she's out."
Related articles:
- Foster child found handcuffed to porch with dead chicken around neck
- Ex-guardian of boy shackled to porch to be released from jail
- Woman accused of chaining boy to porch expected to strike plea deal
Full Statement from North Carolina Department of Public Safety:
The purpose of probation is not to know where an offender is at any given time, but to ensure that offenders are complying with the terms of supervision and not committing new crimes. For some high risk offenders where increased monitoring is necessary, electronic monitoring can be imposed by the court or by a probation officer as a response to non-compliance.
Each offender undergoes a risk and needs assessment at the beginning of supervision and that assessment determines the supervision level and frequency of contact with the probation officer. High risk offenders are seen more frequently and low risk offenders have less frequent contact. However, the results of that assessment and the supervision level are confidential pursuant to NCGS 15-207 which establishes the confidentiality of information gathered by probation officers in the course of their duties.
I can't comment on the supervision specifics of any particular offender. If there are probation violation reports filed, those are public. Larson has no violations and no new charges or convictions.
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