A 21-year-old man from the small Anderson County community of Starr is headed to prison for the next 30 years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 2-year-old girl, a case that began when the child's mother walked in on the abuse and called authorities. Donovan Stamps pleaded guilty on August 26 to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
The case dates back to March 21, 2024, when the victim's mother contacted the Anderson County Sheriff's Office after she walked into Stamps' bedroom while looking for her daughter and saw him performing a sex act on the child, as reported by WYFF. The girl was taken to Prisma Health in Greenville for a medical examination following the report, according to WSNW 94.1 The Lake, which first reported Stamps' arrest that same month. At the time, Stamps was 18 years old and was charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor involving alleged abuse spanning roughly two months at a residence on Martin Road in Starr, the station reported.
From a Hospital ER to a Guilty Plea
Authorities interviewed Stamps after his arrest, and he confessed to the sexual assault, according to the station's report. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division also confirmed the assault occurred through forensic testing, per the same account. SLED operates the state's primary forensic laboratory system, conducting DNA testing for local law enforcement across South Carolina.
The case moved from a four-count indictment to a single guilty plea to first-degree criminal sexual conduct on August 26. Solicitor Micah Black, who leads the 10th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office covering Anderson and Oconee counties, said Stamps will spend the next three decades in prison because of the victim's mother's actions and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office investigation, the station's report notes. Black has led the office since being elected in 2024.
No Parole Under State Violent-Offender Rules
Stamps was sentenced to 30 years in prison and is not eligible for parole. First-degree criminal sexual conduct is classified as a Class A felony under South Carolina Code § 16-3-652, the state's highest felony tier alongside offenses like armed robbery, kidnapping, and voluntary manslaughter, according to the Touma Law Group. Because the crime is designated violent under South Carolina's truth-in-sentencing statute, S.C. Code § 24-13-100, Stamps will be classified as a violent offender within the South Carolina Department of Corrections, per the South Carolina Legislature.
Once released, Stamps will be subject to a court-ordered ankle monitor. Under South Carolina Code § 23-3-540, offenders released after completing sentences for qualifying sex crimes must undergo active GPS electronic monitoring, though state law allows petitioners to seek judicial review after 10 years of compliance, according to the South Carolina Legislature Online. Stamps will also become a registered sex offender, and under South Carolina Code § 23-3-430, those convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct face mandatory lifetime registration on the state's public Sex Offender Registry maintained by SLED.
A Small Community in Southern Anderson County
Starr, the small rural municipality in southern Anderson County where the abuse occurred, had an estimated population of just 174 residents as of 2024 Census figures, according to RandyMajors.org. It sits within Anderson County, which has more than 203,000 residents overall and where public safety in unincorporated areas falls under the Anderson County Sheriff's Office.
The victim is now safe, according to the solicitor's office. The case is one of several recent prosecutions involving child sexual abuse in Upstate South Carolina; Hoodline has also covered an Anderson County kidnapping trial this month involving similar charges of attempted criminal sexual conduct.
