Beaufort man sentenced to 5 years probation after having child sexual abuse materials
A Beaufort man was sentenced to serve five years probation after pleading guilty to having digital files of child sexual abuse.
On Friday, Kennith Dickson, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
As part of that agreement, five other charges brought against Dickson, accusing him of having child sexual abuse files on his digital device, were dismissed by prosecutors, according to AG’s office spokesperson Robert Kittle.
Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen, of Hilton Head, sentenced Dickson to five years of probation. If he violates probation, he would face five years in prison, according to court documents.
Dickson’s lawyer, Scott Lee, of Law Office of Scott W. Lee, PA in Beaufort, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dickson is put on a sex offender registry as part of his guilty plea.
Sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree is a felony in South Carolina. The charge holds a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, the Lowcountry’s Hopeful Horizons organization has a 24-hour support line at (843) 770-1070. Resources can be found online at www.hopefulhorizons.org.
Help can also be reached at the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 11:24 AM.
