DILLON, SC (WBTW) – Harold Brown, a Dillon man charged in the 2014 molestation of a young girl, admitted his guilt Monday before Circuit Court Judge Roger Henderson. He pled guilty to second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
According to a news release from the Solicitor’s Office, at the hearing, Assistant Solicitor Shipp Daniel explained that the state was prepared to pick a jury and go to trial this week, but Brown decided at the last minute to plead.
Judge Henderson approved of the negotiated 15 year sentence, adding that Brown will have to serve at least 85% of that sentence and upon his release will be required to register as a sex offender. Daniel explained that the deal was made to prevent the young victim from having to testify at trial.
“We try to balance what we feel is an appropriate sentence with the trauma a young child could experience in having to testify,” said Daniel. “In this case, the victim’s family and I thought 15 years was an appropriate sentence. Hopefully now they can put this behind them and move on.”
In the release, Daniel also praised Detective Monroe Herring of the Dillon City Police Department for his investigative work on the case.
Dillon attorney Rosalind Sellers represented Brown.