A man from Easley is being held without bond at the Pickens County Detention Center after deputies arrested him near his home in connection with a child sexual assault investigation. He faces a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor following weeks of investigative work by detectives who obtained an arrest warrant in the case.
According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Pickens County sexual assault investigation. WSPA 7News identified the suspect as Justin Tony Burnett Ahi of Easley. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for him following the investigation.
The case traces back to a report the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit received involving a victim between the ages of 11 and 14, per the station’s reporting. WSPA reported that the Special Victims Unit received the report on Sept. 17.
Arrest Made Near Suspect's Home
The suspect was arrested near his home and taken to the Pickens County Detention Center, the same account notes. A separate report from WYFF4 stated the arrest took place on Oct. 14, the same Wednesday cited elsewhere in coverage of the case.
He now remains without bond at the detention facility while the case moves forward. WYFF4 also reported that the case involved a juvenile victim and that the suspect was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, consistent with the charge confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
The charge remains an allegation, not a finding of guilt.
Few Details Expected To Be Released
Officials said no additional information will be released because of the victim’s age and the nature of the investigation, according to the sheriff's office. That means further specifics about the allegations, the circumstances of the case, or any relationship between the suspect and the alleged victim are not expected to surface publicly as the case proceeds through the legal system.
South Carolina court rules also limit disclosure of a juvenile sexual-assault victim’s identifying information in filings: the victim’s name must be fully redacted, and a home address, if included, must be limited to city and state. Those safeguards help explain why identifying details are not part of public filings, though they do not by themselves establish that every fact in a case must remain confidential. Rule 41.2 of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure sets out those redaction requirements.
