North Carolina beachgoers reportedly saw something they didn’t like on April 3, 2026. Instead of staying quiet, they spoke up, potentially saving a young child from dangerous adults. The Sunset Beach Police Department received a call the next morning about a man allegedly forcing a little girl under the water against her will. She apparently screamed for help, and someone recorded the disturbing scene. Christopher Maurice Lee of Longs, South Carolina, and Lesley Suzanne McClam of Calabash now face charges in the case.
The abuse reportedly took place in the early evening.
Per a news release from Sunset Beach Police, an anonymous witness told police Lee was with the child in the water around 6:30 p.m. the day before. The child appeared to be in distress.
“The charges stem from a 911 call reporting that a male was intentionally holding a child upside down by her legs, with her face submerged in the water against her will while she was screaming and crying,” police noted in the release.
Lee and McClam reportedly have a romantic relationship.
Although he’s not the father of the 7-year-old girl, Lee is dating McClam, the Charlotte Observer reported. According to court documents obtained by the newspaper, the child repeatedly screamed for Lee to stop and had injuries from the incident. McClam apparently saw the abuse against her own child and did nothing to stop Lee from hurting her. Police arrested the pair, who both face “Class A1 misdemeanor, the most serious level of misdemeanor offenses,” per the news release.
Plenty of people don’t think the punishment fits the crime.
Although the police department disabled comments on its Facebook post, many people shared the story and their opinions.
“Thank you please speak up for this child!! Like someone said if he does this in public what does he do when no one is watching!!!!” one person commented.
Another person shared her own story of abuse and a warning to others about monsters living behind closed doors.
“At 58 years old, and still experiencing ptsd, I know what it is like after the police or DSS leaves the home from questioning the parents about allegations of abuse, the terror becomes exacerbated. I’m terrified for that child!” she wrote. That b—–d pushed her face in the sand and waterboarded her and her mother (I assume) stood by and watched! She wouldn’t even comfort the child! I can imagine what she is experiencing tonight as wrath will come down on her! Go get that baby! Please!”
Police asked anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Miloszar at (910) 880-8512.
It’s unclear what led up to the incident in the water, but in no way does a 7-year-old child deserve that kind of treatment. If she had aspirated water or sand, that little girl easily could have died. For the sake of this child, we hope people will come forward. No one deserves this.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
