Hilton Head man indicted on child rape charges. Police found video of the crimes, report says
A Hilton Head Island man who is accused of raping multiple children and videotaping the acts has been indicted by a grand jury and denied bond twice since his arrest in March.
Timothy Lamar Herndon, 42, was indicted June 13 by a Beaufort County grand jury on one count of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and second degree criminal sexual conduct, according to court documents.
According to the affidavit, Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputies found video and photo evidence of Herndon raping two children between the ages of 8 and 11. Herndon is not related to the victims.
The child sex crimes took place between Aug. 1, 2018, and March 26, 2019 at Herndon’s home on Bluebell Lane, according to the affidavit.
On March 28, a complainant who is not named in the police report, told deputies he had digital evidence that Herndon “had been sexually assaulting young children.”
After investigating, detectives obtained a search warrant around 10:30 p.m. March 28 and arrested Herndon. He was initially denied bond after his arrest, according to court records.
On May 9, Herndon was denied bond because it was determined by the court that his release “will result in an unreasonable danger to the community.” According to court records, the court may “re-visit” Herndon’s bond on Aug. 9 (90 days after it was decided).
The investigation is still ongoing, according to Maj. Bob Bromage, spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
“Investigators are still evaluating evidence to determine whether other incidents occurred,” Bromage said.
Conviction of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to South Carolina law.
“One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old,” according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The Center reports that only 12 percent of child sexual abuse is reported.
This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 4:12 PM.