Pelion man charged with holding woman 3 months

PELION, S.C. (AP) — Lexington County sheriff’s deputies have arrested a Pelion man and accused him of holding a woman for three months, repeatedly sexually assaulting her. Deputies arrested 52-year-old Paul Thomas Rawl Jr. on Tuesday. Sheriff James Metts said Rawl is a convicted sex offender who kept a 52-year-old woman hostage with threats of violence. Rawl is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, aggravated criminal domestic violence and kidnapping. Metts said the woman was held between July 1 and Oct. 14. An arrest warrant states that Rawl put furniture in front of a bedroom door and made the woman take a medicine typically prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders. Metts said she escaped when she convinced Rawl to take her to a doctor. It was not clear if Rawl has a lawyer.