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Four Century Residents Charged With Neglecting Six Children
October 21, 2021
Four Century residents were arrested Wednesday night for child neglect after deputies found them living in squalor with six children in two campers, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the campers Wednesday on a sexual battery call. They found Norman Tracy Tedder, 55, and his wife Tabitha Rolin Tedder, 50, and Michael Tracy Tedder, 29, and his wife Elizabeth Mae Dennis, 28, living with the six minors. All four were charged with felony child neglect and booked into the Escambia County Jail. They were released on $7,500 bond each.
The Department of Children and Families temporarily removed the children and transported them to the Gulf Coast Kids House.
The ages of the children were redacted from the arrest report.
Some readers may find the following details disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
One camper was “extremely dirty”, with “raw sewage coming from the back side of the camper and flowing underneath the camper causing an unbearable foul odor”, and “hundreds of roaches”, according to an arrest report. The roaches were in thee food cabinet, running over the food, on the stove, on the sink and on the counter.
A deputy further described the camper as having roaches inside the shower and toilet area, pots with old food in them on the kitchen counter, a sink filled with dirty dishes and a refrigerator he called “extremely nasty”. There was one full size bed, a let-down bed with roaches crawling on it, and a baby crib in the camper. Two cats and two dogs were inside, and there were power cords running through the camper and by the kitchen sink, the report states.
“The camper had a foul odor inside and out that was unbearable,” the deputy wrote in his report.
The other camper, described as being “extremely small,” was also roach infested, dirty and piled full of clothes and other items making it impossible to enter, the report states.
According to the ECSO, there was no electrical service on the property; the campers were powered by numerous electrical cords strung together to a nearby home. Some of the cords had bare wires in places and junctions exposed to the weather.
“The parents smelled as if they had not bathed in several days,” arrest reports state.
No other information was made available about the sexual battery call.
Comments
40 Responses to “Four Century Residents Charged With Neglecting Six Children”
Why are they still living on the property of this incident after all this and no septic tank no water no power pole and they still staying there???
All I know is that it’s about time, maybe they will finally get what they deserve
Now I know they are in a better temporary home.I get to see them everyday.
Thinks for caring for them had no idea the camper was like that.They would never let me in.Now I know.
Bout time they helped my cousins.
There are just some people in this world you cannot help, because helping would call for them to change. The schools reported it, teachers tried to intervene on the kids behalf, and DCF did nothing. Perhaps now the kids can break the cycle and begin to climb the ladder out of poverty and apathy they have been subjected to. AND I too wonder why they could not get assistance with so many places saying they want money to help those who need it!
They are receiving help from the state. I used to see them every time their ebt card gets reloaded for $950 buying junkfood as a family. Each one of them has a ebt card… they are getting TOO MUCH help from that state!
Why is it more and more dead beat parents are becoming more prevalent? It’s got to be they put themselves first. It’s almost like people should first take an intense lengthy test before they should be allowed to be a parent. If you have children and aren’t up to the task, there are plenty those that love chance.
With all of the “safety-nets” in place,,,,i e welfare,food stamps ,decent housing & on & on………why Are these people living in squaller & washinhton “puzzle palace” sneakin’s live high on the hog ???
Wondering: Yes, they go to school. Yes, they were reported to CPS by school employees. They were also taken care of to the best of our ability while the children were at school. They were not failed all around. They were failed by their family, CPS, and law enforcement. But I know first hand the school system tried our hardest did those kids.
If your as old as I am you know this has been going on in this family for generations. Not all of them some are good hard working people. You can pray and God bless all you want but only education and reform will help. Hope the kids find good foster care. To save the world. Start locally. ☮️❤️
Me talking illness=mental illness. Sorry, auto correct got me and I hit submit before I checked.
One question.
Several.people have stated they’ve seen the family around town, or that the knew of the family, that the kids were going with out, etc etc etc. So, if you knew of this, why didn’t YOU do something to help? Why didn’t you feed the children? Why didn’t you go to the home and offer to help clean up? This type of thing can be a sign of me talking illness. The people needed help and it seems like most of Century knew it. But rather than try to help, either DCF was called or people just talked. So sad. WWJD?
Did these children go to school? If so, why did nobody there ever think to have someone check on them? It seems these kids were failed all around.
The movie, Deliverance 2
Michael and Elizabeth was the only two that made it bearable to live in Florida,y earlier comment made it seem as if I was including them, I wasn’t. They are good people, jusst made mistakes is all, like anyone has.
How were all four of them able to afford to bond out?
So many people are acting like no one was reporting this situation, but where are y’all getting that? It was reported NUMEROUS times by multiple people just that I alone know of. Not everyone was just sitting back doing nothing. It was not only reported, but things were done to try and help the children outside of the home. Just because DCF and law enforcement dropped the ball, it doesn’t mean everyone in the community is that sorry.
People want to blame other people for not calling CPS and cops we have called them and the cops has been in there before this and seen how they were living why didn’t they do anything about it so don’t blame the people but maybe they can help the kids
I’ve lived next to these people, they destroyed my life in Florida, multiple murder attempts on me and my dad, they’ve broken into my home, stolen numerous things and just generally made my life a living hell! I feel so bad for the kids and pets but these people got exactly what they deserved!
These poor kids im like the others SHAME on the people who did not report this who saw it everyday…I pray they do not return the kids they deserve so much better because if they return them this is the way these people live evidently and will again i pray the sexual battery wasn’t on one of these poor children.and pray for the one it was.
“I hope the animals were rescued also!”
We went back and checked the report….a close relative of one of the individuals stated he would take care of the animals on the property.
I hope the animals were rescued also!
Amen @Chrissy. I totally agree. All these years go by, people have to spread their knowledge but never acted to let authorities know until there’s a news article about it. Pitiful.
I would be shocked if Code Enforcement knew anything about the family and didn’t report it to DCF but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did and DCF didn’t do much about it. Pitiful again.
On the last note, I wonder which adults in this family already get government support and obviously don’t use it for the children nor lift a finger to clean up after themselves. Most pitiful.
God bless those children.
God bless these poor babies. Thank you dcf for finally getting something done for them.
Some of you older people may remember many years ago the headlines when the older Tedder here, his parents were arrested and convicted of these same crimes.
I pray that with these arrests that the children will get help, healing, & restoration because they have absolutely been delivered from this evil.
Father, please let the circle of torture and abuse be broken NOW, in Jesus Name, and thank you for it, AMEN.
When I first read this dreadful story, I assumed the campers were on a property far from the road that no one could see. But now I’m reading many posts from people who saw this family in public and by the smell and appearance could see something was off. If you see a child who you think might be in an unsafe situation, call the sheriff’s non emergency line. Tell them you see a child who might need a welfare check. You don’t need to give your name. You don’t need to know for sure exactly what is wrong. But as adults, we have a responsibility to stand up for any child that might be in trouble. When you keep minding your own business, kids keep getting abused. This is probably not the last time you will see a child that you think might be in trouble. Next time, please, make that call.
Mental illness is a tragedy in this case.
Chrissy, you don’t know that no one stepped in. I personally reported them to DCF on more than one occasion and I know several others who did the same. DCF did nothing.
This isn’t just sad, it’s horrendous and angers me so much !! I grew up in not-quite severe conditions, but not that far removed. I left home as soon as I was old enough, but the problems at home only got worse. To this day my home has to be completely scrubbed and spotless. ( I probably take it to the opposite extreme, but if you’ve never experienced this, I assure you it’s needed for my mental health). This is absolutely a mentality and not a poverty issue. If you don’t change people’s thinking, you’ll never change them. I sincerely hope these children never go back and they get the physical, mental and emotional help they do need. If you see stuff like this, please report it ! I suffered unnecessarily because no one would speak up for me.
Anonymous…. “get some help from the system”???? At least least 3 of them look healthy enough to be pushing a broom, digging ditches or something. The system has put 1000s of sorry folks further and further into laziness while business struggle to stay open because they can’t staff their places.
Thank the Lord these children, if separated permanently from this house of horrors, will now have a chance to learn not just live a better life.
Now hopefully those kids will get the care they deserve.. Also something needs to be done with the little house on Old Flomaton rd that’s surrounded by disgusting unliveble campers & portapotties with people/children living in them.
All 6 kids are safe and are being well taken care of just waiting for finally judgement and permanent placement to keep them all together already was said that they will never get the children back or ever be able to see them. Sexual assault isnt mentioned because it still going thru investigations but they will charged for it thats all Can be said at this time. They wouldn’t never let anyone come down there if the kids had friends or went anywhere they had to be picked up by the road they werent aloud to do hardly anything they kept them on tight leash. To know that all this was going on and not know about it makes me sick to my stomach My heart aches for these children.
This is terrible thank God these were saved!! Poor babies!
The town has an interlocal agreement with the county for code enforcement, I think.
Why don’t they help out? Too many dumps?
Also the sheriff had a clean sweep for Century on the agenda back in 2017 and cancelled it. Do it.
The other residents deserve better.
I don’t know nor saw nor smelled them but I think from just looking at the property records they were in the delapidated house right on the corner in front of the court house and sheriff precinct but it was torn down.
Looks like a mental heath issue.
New apartments were built and they could have probably qualified for sec 8, maybe they still can, if they get some assistance from the system.
About time something has been done. These children have lived in filth for many years. And nothing would ever be done by dcf. The children always stink , filthy , go unfed many nights. One thing i can say is the children are.loved by there family but the way they choose to have these children live are horrible and disgusting. And continue to have more kids is sick. Every home they lived in previous was the same way you could smell it before even getting to the door. Praying these kids are inna clean safe plave nice warm bath for a change and a good hot meal and more
From here and the NEscambia FB comments it sounds like multiple area neighbors witnessed this family’s behaviors and did nothing to step in.
Don’t feign interest or pity now for the kids.
If you saw their environment crumbling and didn’t offer to help or even call DCF for a check, you’re part of the problem.
You’re judging the parent’s shopping choices and smell because you frequently saw them in public but never thought to bring it up with someone who could help?
They’re obviously a part of your community, possibly even a neighbor – why wouldn’t you take it on to help where you could see a need rather than sit back and judge once they make it to the paper?
From the sounds of it, the whole dang village has failed these kids from the start.
I see these folks in Food Giant and the smell that come from them would make you so sick I am not suprised at all! Maybe the babies will have a better life now! Bless them.
How come there’s no further mention of the sexual battery?
What took so long??? This has been going on for years!!! These 2 have been this way all their married life!!! When they get out which they will don’t let them have any children back or ever be around children!!! Their Nasty Sick People!!! The Truth Is The Truth!!!
I used to see these people in Food Giant all the time. Based on their appearance/smell in public, I am not surprised by their living conditions. I feel terrible for the children, but hope they can receive better care by someone else. They always looked so pitiful and hungry. It’s heartbreaking. The food they would purchase with their food stamps was terrible; definitely not nutritious for children, and I don’t think the children were eating any of the food. These were large people and the children were skin and bones. I hope the children can recover from this.