Man charged with sexually abusing minor in Bluffton; arrested at Okatie hotel
An Okatie man was arrested early this week on accusations of sexually assaulting a minor and housing the child while they were reported missing.
Taraji Tai Flowers, 24, was charged Monday with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Both charges involve the same victim, who court records indicate was less than 16 years old.
Flowers was “acquaintances” with the victim before he allegedly assaulted them in Bluffton in November 2024, according to Eydie Moody, a spokesperson for the Bluffton Police Department.
The victim was reported to police as a runaway about a month later. Shortly after, the child was found inside Flowers’ “bedroom closet” in his Okatie residence, Moody said.
Officers obtained arrest warrants for Flowers in January based on witness statements, but he reportedly left the state before police could apprehend him.
Flowers was arrested Monday at the Okatie Hilton Head Hotel — located at the junction of S.C. 170 and U.S. 278 — after his mother tipped off police, according to Moody.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Flowers was being held on a $15,000 cash bond at the Beaufort County Detention Center. Judicial records did not yet show a defense attorney or public defender representing him.
Under South Carolina law, second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Flowers’ arrest was one of dozens not currently viewable via Beaufort County’s online jail rosters, which have not been updated since June 17 due to system updates within county law enforcement. Arrest records can be viewed in person at the jail or through Beaufort County’s public index for court records.
In Beaufort County, Flowers was previously convicted of a misdemeanor assault charge in March. He appeared to have no other criminal history in the area.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 9:04 AM.
