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State law requires the Texas Children’s Protective Agency to start an investigation within 24 hours after receiving a complaint of life-threatening child abuse.

But an 11 News investigation by reporter Jeremy Rogalski found possibly thousands of such cases CPS missed that deadline.

Worse, 11 News uncovered that some of these cases go even half a year without that initial contact.  Child advocates, such as former Harris County prosecutor Randy Burton, are outraged by these delays.

“Little children are going to be sexually abuses ‘again,’” Burton said of the delays. “Little children are going to be beaten with coat hangers again.”

Burton also points out that some of those complaints could represent felony crimes and that any delays make them more difficult to document and prosecute.

So what does CPS have to say about all of this? Assistant Commissioner Joyce James claims that their some of their time figures are inaccurate. She said mistaken entries are giving the wrong impression to the public. But state documents also reveal that in many cases CPS simply dropped the ball and the delays are real and long.