Former town councilman in SC pleads guilty to sexually assaulting girl at sleepover
A former town councilman in South Carolina pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child during a sleepover in his home, the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said.
On Monday, 56-year-old Earl Morell Jr., pleaded guilty to the third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor charge for the sex crime that victimized a 12-year-old girl, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.
The former Allendale town councilman pleaded guilty before a trial was scheduled to begin later Monday, according to the release. Morell had been charged with second-degree criminal sexual assault, but with the victim’s consent was allowed to plead to the lesser charge, the solicitor’s office said.
The sex crime occurred at Morell’s Jones Street home in March 2021, the solicitor’s office said. That’s near the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie campus. The girl was sleeping in Morell’s living room when she was sexually assaulted in the middle of the night, according to the release.
“What was supposed to be a fun and carefree sleepover with friends quickly turned into a nightmare for this child,” said Hunter Swanson Simmons, who prosecuted the case for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “This assault was traumatizing and continues to haunt this girl.”
In a call to the girl’s parents about two months after the crime, Morell admitted to “sleeping with” her and encouraged them to have her medically examined, the solicitor’s office said. The victim’s parents then took her to a hospital’s emergency room, according to the release.
In Oct, 2022, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed an executive order suspending Morell for “moral turpitude.” The executive order described the offense as “an act of baseness, vileness or depravity in the private and social duties which a man owes to his fellow man, or to society in general.”
As of Tuesday, Morell was still listed as a town council member.
Prior to Monday’s court appearance, Morell was out of jail after posting a $200,000 bond, Allendale County judicial records show.
After pleading guilty, Morell was sentenced to five years in prison, which was suspended to two years plus three years of probation, the solicitor’s office said. He was also credited with 48 days served, according to court records.
Morell faced a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, according to South Carolina law.
As part of his sentence, Morell also will be placed on the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s sex-offender registry, and was issued a permanent restraining order forbidding him to have contact with the victim, according to the release.
“With an active prison sentence, Mr. Morell is being held responsible for his actions. I hope it also brings healing and a sense of safety for his victim,” Simmons said.
The 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office represents Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
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This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Former town councilman in SC pleads guilty to sexually assaulting girl at sleepover."
