Sumter man charged in sex crime, met child on Snapchat, Chester County sheriff says
A Sumter County man has been charged with having illegal sexual contact with a child in Chester County after meeting the victim on social media, according to deputies and arrest warrants.
Graham Cooper Waldron, 22, was arrested Friday by Chester County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, warrants obtained by The Herald show.
The incident happened Oct. 17, a sheriff’s office incident report stated.
Waldron first talked to the child through Snapchat social media then traveled more than 80 miles from Sumter County to Chester County, according to the incident report. The suspect had illegal physical contact with the victim in Chester County, warrants allege.
Chester County detectives investigated after the incident was reported, according to Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. The victim also spoke to an advocacy center for children, according to the arrest warrant.
The Herald is not naming the area in Chester County where the incident happened to protect the identity of the victim.
Second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor is a felony that can carry up to 20 years in prison for a conviction, South Carolina law shows.
Waldron was released on bond after an initial court appearance, Suskin said. No trial date has been set.
This story was originally published November 1, 2021 at 4:16 PM.
