Burton man charged with statutory rape

A Burton man was arrested Saturday on charges of statutory rape and violating his probation or parole.

Brian David Walls, 34, was arrested by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of violation of probation or parole, according to the jail log.

He remained in the Beaufort County Detention Center on Sunday with bond set at $125,000.

The jail log identified the sexual offenses as statutory rape, though the age of the victim was not available Sunday from law enforcement. He was also served a bench warrant for a separate offense.

Walls has been arrested numerous times in Beaufort County over the last 15 years, according to court records.

In July 2011, he was charged with felony criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, a second-offense of criminal domestic violence within 10 years.

He was given credit for 90 days spent in jail and released.

In October 2011, he was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, one count of second-degree assault and battery, and was again given credit for 90 days spent in jail and released.

In that incident, Walls was accused of repeatedly raping and assaulting a female acquaintance who was driving him around the area while drinking and using drugs, the Sheriff’s Office told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette at the time of his arrest.

A few more recent charges were dismissed. In the case of a January 2014 forgery charge, Walls failed to appear in court, records show.

Additional information on Walls’ Friday arrest was unavailable Sunday.

This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Burton man charged with statutory rape."