Raleigh Couple Charged After Child Suffers Burns From Scalding Water

Tamara and Christopher Ross face multiple child abuse charges for incidents in 2023 and 2024.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 4:04am

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A Raleigh couple, Tamara Ross, 37, and Christopher Ross, 41, have been arrested and charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious injury and false imprisonment after allegedly placing their 11-year-old child's feet in scalding hot water, causing burns and blisters. The couple also faces additional charges from a previous incident in 2024 involving another child.

Why it matters

These disturbing allegations of child abuse highlight the need for greater awareness and protection of vulnerable children in the community. The case also raises questions about the couple's past history and whether there were any prior warning signs that could have prevented these incidents.

The details

According to court documents, on January 1, 2023, Tamara and Christopher Ross intentionally injured their 11-year-old child by placing the child's feet in scalding hot water, causing burns and blistering. The couple is also accused of unlawfully detaining the child without consent. In addition, in May 2025, the couple was charged for an incident on December 30, 2024, involving another child who was 10 years old at the time. Christopher Ross was charged with child abuse inflicting serious physical injury after allegedly verbally and physically assaulting the child for more than an hour, while Tamara Ross was charged with failure to report a crime against a juvenile.

  • On January 1, 2023, the Rosses allegedly placed their 11-year-old child's feet in scalding hot water.
  • On December 30, 2024, the Rosses were involved in an incident with another 10-year-old child.
  • In May 2025, the Rosses were charged for the December 2024 incident.

The players

Tamara Ross

A 37-year-old Raleigh resident who has been charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious injury, false imprisonment, and failure to report a crime against a juvenile.

Christopher Ross

A 41-year-old Raleigh resident who has been charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious injury, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor child abuse.

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What’s next

The judge will decide on Thursday whether to allow the Rosses to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the urgent need for stronger child protection measures and better monitoring of families with a history of abuse to prevent such horrific incidents from occurring in the future.