MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A father entered a guilty plea in front of a Montgomery County judge Monday for neglecting six of his children.
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said 46-year-old Dominique Moore pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect.
This plea comes after his wife, Cynthia Moore, was found guilty of six counts of child neglect on Oct. 16 after a seven-day bench trial.
In May of 2022, the Montgomery County Police Department responded to the 9000 block of Quill Place in Montgomery Village for an unresponsive child. When officers arrived at the home, they discovered the family living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
Police said they spoke to Cynthia and Moore at the scene. Cynthia told police that “their daughter had had Multiple Sclerosis and diabetes, and recently been diagnosed with COVID.” Cynthia also told police that her 17-year-old daughter had collapsed after having trouble breathing.
The girl died there.
Police said the teen’s body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where examiners determined her manner of death to be a homicide.
During the investigation, police learned that six other children between 5 and 15 years old were living in the house.
Almost a year later in May of 2023, Cynthia and Moore were each indicted on charges of second-degree depraved-heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child neglect following an investigation into the death of their 17-year-old daughter.
According to the attorney’s office, Cynthia and Moore both face a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Moore’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025. Cynthia’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2025.
