(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------A Seneca man remains in jail today, due to his bond being denied, after his arrest last Friday afternoon on charges related to a Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor investigation.
34 year old Steven Lee Sherman, of Sirrine Street, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on December 13th at around 4:30pm. Sherman has been charged with two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor – Second Degree and one count of Contributing to a Delinquency of a Minor.
The Sheriff’s Office investigation began on October 25th of this year after a School Resource Officer, who is assigned to a School District of Oconee County school, was asked by a School District employee to speak with the victim, who is a minor. The SRO was told that Sherman had provided alcohol to the victim, causing the victim to become intoxicated, and that Sherman had sexually assaulted the victim.
The Department of Social Services was notified and the victim was placed in safe environment. The investigation was forwarded to a Violent Crimes Investigator in the Criminal Investigations Bureau.
Based upon evidence that was obtained during the investigation, it was determined that Sherman had engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, who was a child at the time of the incident, on two separate occasions on July 5th of this year. Also, the investigator determined that Sherman had provided alcohol to the victim on that day. The investigation involved only one victim.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation. Sherman will appear before a Circuit Court Judge, at a later date, in regards to his bond.
Due to the nature of the crime and the victim being a minor, the Sheriff’s Office will not release any information that could, either directly or indirectly, identify the victim in this case.