Woman received no help for victims of child sexual abuse

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) – A woman has been charged for allegedly failing to seek help for a minor victim who told her she had been sexually abused in Marion County.

On March 27, officers from the Marion County Division of the West Virginia State Police participated in a forensic interview of a seven-year-old victim who, according to a criminal complaint, stated she had been sexually assaulted four times.

In that interview, the child said the sexual assaults were reported to Chelsea Nice, 34, of Fairmont, and that the incidents occurred starting in 2023 and throughout 2024, cops said.

The teen told police officers that “she was left at home with her attacker,” even though Nice “had already been informed of a previous assault, which led to further assaults,” the complaint states.

During their investigation, officers learned that Nice “neither notified authorities nor took the victim to the hospital for medical evaluation or possible treatment,” and in an interview, Nice told officers “she was aware of an allegation,” officers said.

However, police learned that “the victim had reported each assault to Nice, four in total,” but that Nice “had taken no action to report to the appropriate authorities or to assist the victim in seeking medical evaluation or treatment,” according to the complaint.

Nice was charged with child neglect resulting in injury. She is being held at the North Central Regional Jama on $200,012 bail.