A convoluted tale of family abuse and neglect was made public in recently filed Lubbock County court documents. William Briley, 34, and his girlfriend, year-old Lacy McCauley, were arrested Wednesday on aggravated sexual abuse charges involving three of the four children they were raising together.
According to court records, two young girls and a baby were placed in protective custody while the oldest child, a year-old boy, was arrested and placed in the Lubbock County Juvenile Justice Center. The investigation began when school personnel alerted authorities to allegations made by Briley's younger daughter last week, according to court records. The admission reportedly prompted school officials to contact authorities, who began an investigation into the family's life.
The 7-year-old confided in a school counselor that her older brother was molesting her and her older sister on a regular basis, according to court records. When investigators confronted Briley about the alleged abuse, he reportedly told them he had already spoken to his son about it. A report entered into court documents states Briley made no attempts to contact CPS or police. Briley allegedly spoke with his daughters about the situation involving their brother, and told investigators his daughters "didn't need to let that happen to them," the records read.
As the investigation progressed, records state, more allegations were made involving Briley and McCauley. Briley's two biological daughters - ages 7 and 8 - told police detectives and Child Protective Services investigators that their father had also molested them over the past few years, according to court records.
McCauley, who is not the biological mother of the teenage boy or the girls, allegedly told investigators she knew about Briley and her stepson's abuse of the girls, but she never reported it to authorities. The 8-year-old told investigators McCauley confronted the brother and told him to stop. By the girls' account, he did not stop abusing them, according to court records. During her interview with investigators, McCauley allegedly admitted to having a sexual relationship with her stepson. According to court records, Briley allegedly had knowledge of and was a participant in the sexual encounters between his son and girlfriend.
