A 28-year-old Marshville, North Carolina, man was arrested in Chesterfield County on a charge of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree after an alleged early morning assault on Sunday, according to sheriff's deputies. Authorities said the arrest took place Sunday and the suspect was taken to the county detention center for booking. The sheriff's office said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
In a Facebook update, the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office said deputies arrested 28-year-old Daniel Joshua Melton of Marshville on Sunday and charged him with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree. Deputies said they established probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant, and Melton was then transported to the Chesterfield County Detention Center, where a judge set a $15,000 surety bond. The sheriff's office added that its inquiry is still underway.
Sheriff’s account
The sheriff's office stressed that Melton has not been convicted of a crime. "Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," the post noted from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office. Investigators did not release identifying information about the alleged victim, nor did they offer a detailed timeline of the reported assault in the public statement.
What third-degree charges involve
Under South Carolina law, criminal sexual conduct in the third degree covers sexual battery that is carried out through force or coercion, or when the victim cannot legally give consent. The formal elements of the crime and the potential penalties are laid out in S.C. Code § 16-3-654.
Local context
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office routinely turns to Facebook to announce arrests, and those brief posts often serve as the first public look at developing criminal cases. In June, Hoodline reported on another arrest that originated with a social media announcement in a story headlined Traffic Stop Nabs Wanted Cheraw Man, which similarly leaned on the sheriff's online bulletin.
How to follow the case
Court filings in magistrate and circuit court will show whether prosecutors move forward with formal charges in the Melton case and when hearings are set. Magistrates in Chesterfield County handle bond settings and the early stages of criminal cases; more information about that process is available on the Chesterfield County Magistrate Court page.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the sheriff's office at (843) 623-2101, the number listed in the county's county directory.
