Beaufort Marine arrested on child sex crime warrants out of TN, police say
A Beaufort Marine was arrested on base last week on out-of-state warrants for child sex crimes, officials say.
Joshua Daniel Chad Simpson, 22, of Lebanon, Tennessee, was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant after being detained Thursday evening at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
Simpson is wanted for two counts of rape of a child out of Wilson County, Tennessee, according to a police report. He told deputies he “did not wish to make any statements at this time” before they transported him from MCAS Beaufort to the county jail. It was unclear when the alleged crimes occurred or when Simpson’s warrants were obtained. Personnel at the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lt. Col. David Trail, a spokesperson for MCAS Beaufort, said he believed base officials had been contacted by police the same day about Simpson’s outstanding warrants. He would not confirm Simpson’s rank or how long he had served on the air base, but said military officials take allegations of this type “very seriously.”
Simpson remained in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center as of Monday afternoon as he awaited extradition to Tennessee. For charges carrying a prison term of more than one year, South Carolina law allows an out-of-state fugitive to be held in jail for up to 20 days until they can be transferred to the appropriate jurisdiction.
Asked about Simpson’s military status and whether he would be relieved of service, Trail said it was “too early to tell” what kind of decision would be made by a commander.
According to Tennessee law, rape of a child involves a victim between 8 and 13 years old and is considered a Class A felony. It is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
