Solicitor: Ladson man sentenced to 45 years for raping young child

BERKELEY, S.C. (WCIV) — A man arrested back in 2013 for sexually abusing a three-year-old child was sentenced to 45 years in prison. According to Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, a Berkeley County jury found Jeramy Parks guilty for molesting a child who was three and four years old at the time of the assaults. The victim came forward in 2012 and is now 7-years-old. “This young child was courageous,” said Assistant Solicitor Anne Williams. “She overcame her fears to face her attacker in court and left the jury with not doubt about the truth of her abuse.” Wilson said the victim “endured continuous abuse for over two years at the hands of the defendant” because the mother continued to let Parks be around the child despite the Department of Social Services having a safety plan in place. An anonymous tip finally stopped the abuse. Parks was convicted of five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a minor in the First Degree and received a 30 year sentence, which was followed consecutively by 15 years on one count Criminal Sexual Conduct Towards a Child in the Third Degree for a total of 45 years. Parks must serve 85 percent of his sentence before release. The mother is also facing charges of Unlawful Conduct Toward a Child, a felony that carries up to 10 years. Parks was found not guilty regarding the abuse of a second victim. Parks had a prior conviction for Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated nature for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. Photo courtesy of ABC News 4