Official: Social worker arrested for not investigating abuse

CONWAY (AP) - A social worker who investigates child abuse in South Carolina was fired and arrested after she failed to look into neglect allegations and then tried to create a false report after a child died, authorities said.

Amanda Sutherland, 29, is charged with misconduct in office, according to an arrest warrant from the State Law Enforcement Division.

The Department of Social Services worker failed to investigate a child abuse allegation in Horry County in April within 24 hours as required by law, the arrest warrant said.

When one of the children involved died two weeks later, Sutherland created a report saying she went to the child's home when she had never been there or even met the parents or the children, authorities said.

Sutherland tried to make the report more believable by using notes gathered after the child died, the arrest warrant said.

Sutherland was fired in June, and an agency review of her cases found no other false reports or other problems, the Department of Social Services said in a statement.

Sutherland remained in jail Wednesday. It wasn't known if she had a lawyer.

The arrest warrant did not give details about the abuse case.