Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell confirmed that Charlee Nichole Campbell was not allowed to return home from a Louisville hospital on Saturday. The girl went missing Thursday morning and was suffering from dehydration, scrapes and tick bites when she was found the next day, WDRB reported.
Tinnell said the child could have been inside someone’s home during the time she was missing and he is not ruling out sexual assault, the television station reported. The sheriff said he asked for a forensic medical examination to determine if Charlee had eaten while she was missing.
Deputies said Charlee's grandmother woke up just before 10 a.m. Thursday, and the child and her dog were both gone, WLKY reported last week.
Tinnell said deputies searched the wooded area after Charlee was found for more clues. When the child was found, she was wearing a Disney pajama top but no pants or a diaper, WRDB reported.
Investigators said Charlee apparently wandered to a home 500 yards behind her grandmother’s home, navigating steep terrain with Penny, the family’s dog. The girl was found covered in dirt, but the dog was very clean, Tinnell said.
Investigators also requested a search warrant to check cellphone records of family members, WDRB reported. Tinnell said he wants to find out who was responsible for taking care of Charlee, who is at the center of a custody battle between her parents, WDRB reported.
The sheriff said he believes criminal charges will eventually be filed, the television station reported.
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