Horry County social worker lied about checking on a child who died, now she’s in jail
An Horry County social worker lied about investigating a child neglect case and is now charged in connection to the child’s death, police announced Wednesday.
Agents of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged Amanda Marie Sutherland, a former Horry County Child Protective Services Investigator with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, in connection to a child fatality that happened in May.
Sutherland, 29, was charged with misconduct in office. Agents from SLED and police officers from Conway, where the child lived, conducted the investigation.
On April 21, Sutherland was assigned to investigate a case of child abuse and neglect and had a legal duty to investigate within 24 hours. Two weeks later, on May 5, the child died. On May 12, Sutherland falsified a report to make it look like she visited the mother and children in April. She had never even started the investigation, according to SLED.
Sutherland is booked at J. Reuben Long Detention Center. Her case will be prosecuted by the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 10:48 AM.
