Beaufort Co. child says she was sexually assaulted while parent away; mother charged
A St. Helena Island woman faces child endangerment charges after her daughter told police she was sexually assaulted while her mother was away, according to a police report and arrest warrants.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office charged Tonya Anderson, 44, of St. Helena with two counts of unlawful conduct towards a child, according to records.
A Sheriff’s Office report states that Anderson left her two children, ages 10 and 11, unattended for 17 hours on Jan. 31. During that time, one of her children told police she was sexually assaulted while her mother was away.
The Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed that the sexual assault took place. “The alleged sexual assault is being investigated,” said Maj. Bob Bromage.
The S.C. Department of Social Services was also contacted by authorities and responded to the scene of the arrest.
The report says Anderson told police she put her neighbor in charge of watching her children. The neighbor told a deputy she was never asked to watch them.
Two Facebook messages to Anderson on Thursday and Friday were unreturned.
She was booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center at 5 p.m. on Jan. 31. She was released on Feb. 2 at around 10:30 a.m., jail records show.
A judge set two surety bonds for Anderson at $1,500 each. Surety bonds allow people to get out of jail by paying a portion of the bond, on the condition that they will return to court.
Unlawful conduct towards a child is a felony in South Carolina. Each count can mean up to 10 years in prison.
This story was originally published February 6, 2021 at 12:17 PM.
