Inset: Christopher Maurice Lee (Brunswick County Jail via WECT). Background: The Sunset Beach Pier in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where Lee allegedly dunked a girl into the water against her will (Sunset Beach Pier/Facebook).
Christopher Maurice Lee and Lesley Suzanne McClam have both been charged with first-degree misdemeanor child abuse, as stated in a release by the Sunset Beach Police Department.
The unsettling event unfolded just after 6:30 p.m. on a Friday at the Sunset Beach Pier. A 911 caller reported that Lee was “intentionally holding a child upside down by her legs, submerging her face in the water against her will while she screamed and cried,” according to authorities.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lee was observed “repeatedly placing the child’s head under water or attempting to, despite the child screaming and pleading for him to stop.” It is also alleged that McClam simply watched without intervening.
A probable cause affidavit said Lee was “repeatedly placing child’s head under water/attempting to while child screamed and stated stop.” He repeated the action after pulling the girl out of the water, cops allege. McClam allegedly stood by and did nothing to stop it.
“We are aware that social media posts and videos related to this incident have circulated. The safety and well-being of every child in our community remains our highest priority,” cops wrote in the press release. “Anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Miloszar at (910) 880-8512.”
Officers identified Lee and McClam as the suspects and took them to the Brunswick County Jail. They have each since posted a $1,000 bond and they are slated to appear in court on May 27.
The North Carolina Department of Social Services was also notified about the incident and is conducting its own investigation, police said.