The two parents arrested by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year for Cruelty to Children have been indicted by a grand jury.
Case Background
41-year-old Samuel Raleigh and 31-year-old Rebecca Gerdmann were arrested on April 7 amid an investigation prompted by a report made by one of their six children the day before. Raleigh, 41, has three children from a previous relationship – children aged 18, 16, and 14, and Raleigh and Gerdmann share three children, ages 9, 8, and 4.
In a May 2026 bond hearing, an investigator with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office testified that one of the children asked a friend to take her to a Dollar General where she made a report to law enforcement regarding ongoing neglect and child cruelty. The child shared details of the home environment, provided pictures and videos, and detailed complaints made by school officials, which were alleged to have prompted DFCS inquiries. Reportedly, teachers had notated issues with cleanliness, hygiene, and odor with regard to the children, as well as behavioral issues and incidents involving self-harm. The teenager reportedly told the deputy that Raleigh’s response to school complaints was to homeschool the children so there would not be any more complaints.
After reviewing photo and video evidence and taking a report, the deputy turned the case over to the Criminal Investigations Division.
Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Hugh Gordon told Judge Michael Muldrew during a preliminary hearing that “[t]he odor was overpowering, so much so that [his] eyes began to water,” detailing that the children were wearing dirty pajamas and appeared not to have washed in some time. “I was in shock. The smell was overwhelming. There was animal feces, urine, and trash, dirty clothing scattered everywhere. It was not clean,” Gordon testified. You can read more of the details from the preliminary hearing in this link.
Judge Michael Muldrew determined that there was enough probable cause to bind the case over for grand jury consideration. He denied bond due to the risk of intimidating witnesses, specifically the children, and were a danger to the community. He also barred both Gerdmann and Raleigh from having further contact with the children.
In July, Rebecca Gerdmann again petitioned the court for bond, at which time Judge Muldrew signed a Consent Bond Order between prosecutor Mark Daniel and Gerdmann’s attorney, Martha Hall. Gerdmann was granted a $30,000 bond, was barred from contacting victims in the case, ordered to abide by a safety plan put in place by DFCS, ordered to obtain an Alcohol and Drug evaluation, and prohibited from possessing alcohol, drugs, or weapons.
Raleigh has remained in the Effingham County Jail since his arrest.
Grand Jury Indictment
Gerdmann and Raleigh were formally indicted last week on fifteen felony counts, including:
Cruelty to Children (1st degree) – 6 counts
- Depriving six minor children of the necessary sustenance between April 6 and April 7, 2026 to the extent that the child’s health and well-being was jeopardized.
Cruelty to Children (2nd degree) – 6 counts
- Causing cruel and mental pain to six children by “causing and allowing said child to reside in an extremely unsanitary residence containing animal feces and urine, garbage, soiled clothing, mold, and other filth, and by failing to provide said child with adequate hygiene and sanitary living conditions.”
Cruelty to Animals – 3 counts
- For intentionally exercising possession of a pig, of multiple cats, and of one dog and failing to provide the animal with adequate sanitary conditions consistent with what a reasonable person of ordinary knowledge would believe is the normal requirement and feeding habit for the animal.
Rebecca Gerdmann was also indicted on one count of Possession of Marijuana (Less than one ounce), a misdemeanor offense, for possessing the drug on April 7, 2026.
Possible Sentences
If convicted, Gerdmann and Raleigh both face considerable time in prison.
Difference Between Two Degrees of Cruelty to Children
Cruelty to Children in the 1st degree – when such person willfully deprives the child of necessary sustenance to the extent that the child’s health or well-being is jeopardized. Carries a sentence of 5-20 years for each count.
Cruelty to Children in the 2nd degree – when such person with criminal negligence causes a child under the age of 18 cruel or excessive physical or mental pain. Carries a sentence of 1-10 years for each count.
The animal cruelty charges are also misdemeanor offenses and carry sentences of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each offense.
Under Georgia law, animal cruelty is a misdemeanor when a person either:
- (1) Causes physical pain, suffering, or death to an animal by any unjustifiable act or omission; or
- (2) fails to provide to such animals adequate food, water, sanitary conditions, or ventilation that is consistent with what a reasonable person of ordinary knowledge would believe is the normal requirement and feeding habit for such animal’s size, species, breed, age, and physical condition.
In order for the offense to rise to the offense of a felony, the state must be able to prove malice.
Both Gerdmann and Raleigh are scheduled to appear in court in November.
