November 4, 2022, Tommy Lee Beauchamp, age, 33, of Salisbury, Maryland, was sentenced to 5 years in the Division of Corrections for his conviction on the charges of reckless endangerment and neglect of a minor. He was found guilty by a jury after trial in the Worcester County Circuit Court on October 20, 2022. The Honorable Judge Beau H. Oglesby presided over the case and imposed the maximum sentence.
The charges originated from an incident which occurred on July 3, 2021, when Pocomoke City first responders were dispatched to a call from the mother of a 15-month old male toddler who was having difficulty breathing and turning blue in the face. While transporting the child to the hospital, EMS personnel suspected an accidental drug overdose and administered Narcan to him, which caused him to regain consciousness. A full medical exam was completed at Tidal Health and showed that the
child had heroin and alcohol in his system. The child was airlifted to Children’s National Hospital in DC and survived. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Child Protective Services jointly investigated this matter and learned that Tommy Lee Beauchamp, the child’s father, had a history of drug use and appeared to witnesses to have been under the influence and using drugs when caring for the child on July 3, 2021. Investigators also discovered that in April of 2021, Beauchamp had pleaded guilty to neglecting another 3-year-old child who had also accidentally ingested opioids under similar circumstances.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended the Worcester County Sheriff's Office, the CRICKET Center, the Department of Social Services, and Det. Martin for their collaborative investigation and thanked Assistant State's Attorney Pamela Correa who prosecuted this case.
The mission of the CRICKET Center is to create a community response in which abusers are held accountable and children and families experience hope and healing. The multidisciplinary team is made up of law enforcement officers, child protective service personnel, prosecutors, advocates, mental health therapists and medical personnel. To learn more, or to report suspected child abuse or neglect, please contact 410-641-0097.
