Bluffton man sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 13-year-old
A Bluffton man pleaded guilty to a 2017 charge that he sexually abused a 13-year-old family member in 2016 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
John Haltom, 60, of Bluffton was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree.
The felony conviction has a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Because Haltom has been in jail since Aug. 23, 2017, that time will count toward his sentence, said Jeff Kidd, 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office spokesperson.
That means he has about 6 1/2 years left to serve.
Haltom’s public defender, Courtney Gibbes, did not respond to phone or text messages on Tuesday.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy we did this story:
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette newspapers are making an effort to update stories we’ve published where criminal charges were filed. Criminal charges mean law enforcement had probable cause to arrest someone, but a court decides on a person’s guilt and conviction. If our newspaper has written about a crime where charges were brought, we want to use public records to show what happened in that case. If you think a crime story featuring you or someone you know needs updating, email Sofia Sanchez at ssanchez@islandpacket.com or newsroom@islandpacket.com.
According to previous reporting by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, the initial police report said the incidents happened between Jan. 1 of 2010, and Aug. 1, 2016.
The report was made to the Bluffton Police Department in 2017.
A charge of incest was dismissed on Oct. 16, 2017 after a preliminary hearing, court documents show.
Haltom also originally faced two criminal sexual conduct charges, but he was sentenced on only one count. The other was dismissed, Kidd said, though he declined to explain why.
