Hilton Head man arrested on child exploitation, criminal sexual conduct charges, police say

A 42-year-old Hilton Head man who is accused of sexually assaulting young girls was arrested Friday, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

Timothy Lamar Herndon was charged with first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the report.

On Thursday, March 28, a complainant who is not named in the report told deputies that he had photographs and video showing that Herndon “had been sexually assaulting young children.”

After investigating, detectives obtained a search warrant around 10:30 p.m. Thursday and arrested Herndon. He was booked at the Beaufort County Detention Center just after midnight Friday, according to the jail log.

One of the two victims Herndon is charged with assaulting was under the age of 11, and another victim was between the ages of 11 and 14, according to the the police report. Neither was related to Herndon.

The police report is heavily redacted and offers little information about the alleged crimes. According to online court records, Herndon lived on Bluebell Lane on Hilton Head Island.

Conviction of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to South Carolina law.

The investigation is ongoing, according to the report.

This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 4:22 PM.