FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A Fort Pierce pastor has been charged with five counts of child neglect, after children in her care were found without food or access to a functioning bathroom.
Fort Pierce police say Gwendolyn Rolle, 59, had been acting as a foster parent to five children between 4 to 9 years old, whose father left them in Rolle's custody.
Police responded to her home on June 2, after reports that the children were being abused.
According to an arrest affidavit, police discovered that multiple children in the home were being denied access to a bathroom and were instead using a bucket, and had to bathe on the front porch using a garden hose. There was a working bathroom in the home, but it was locked and inaccessible to the foster children.
There was evidence of physical abuse, including one child with a bruise on their chest, and the children said they were often hit in the face or head when Rolle disciplined them. While police were on scene, one of the children claimed Rolle, who'd arrived during questioning, told them that once police leave, "you're going to get it."
There were also allegations of food deprivation, with children saying they often don't get to eat dinner or are sent to bed hungry. They stated they often eat breakfast and lunch at school, and neighbors said they would often feed the children.
Two of the children are non-verbal and attend a special needs school, but Rolle did not know the name of the school.
The children have been transferred into the care of the Department of Children and Families. Rolle was released on bond.
