York church volunteer faces charges; video shows improper touching of child
A church volunteer in York, S.C., has been arrested and charged after video showed improper touching of a child while at church, officials said.
Ira James Summerlin, 74, is charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor, third-degree, according to York Police Department records and a police incident report.
Summerlin was at Central Baptist Church on Ross Cannon Street Sunday around 6 p.m. for a group function. He is charged with improperly touching a 6-year-old female child who was sitting on Summerlin’s lap, the incident report stated.
Video of the act was found by church officials who immediately called police, according to the report. Patrol officers and detectives responded and seized the video as evidence, said York Police Sgt. Kevin Hoffman.
After an investigation Sunday night, which included a review of the video, Summerlin was arrested at his York County home by York police and York County Sheriff’s Office deputies, officials said.
The third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor charge is called “fondling,” South Carolina law shows. The law is defined as someone who “willfully touches or attempts to commit a lewd act on a child,” state law shows.
A conviction for the offense carries up to 15 years in prison.
Summerlin remains in the York County jail under a $20,000 bond after an initial court appearance.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
