(Walhalla, SC) Yesterday in Oconee County, Michael Kenneth Cox entered a plea of guilty in General Sessions Court to one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct First Degree, with a Minor Under Eleven. Judge Lawton McIntosh imposed a sentence of 65 years in prison. Mr. Cox will not be eligible for parole.
On December 10th, 2020, officers responded to a report of a sexual assault in Walhalla. During the investigation officers recovered video evidence of Mr. Cox having intercourse with a minor child under the age of 11. Mr. Cox fled the scene while officers were in route and was apprehended early the next morning. When confronted with the evidence against him, Mr. Cox acknowledged to law enforcement that he had assaulted the child, and that he had struggled with an attraction to children for some time.
Following sentencing, Solicitor David Wagner remarked: “This was a horrendous crime perpetrated against a truly innocent and defenseless victim. We are grateful for the hard work of the Walhalla Police Department in bringing Michael Cox to justice, and grateful to the Court for a sentence which insures he will never have the opportunity to harm a child again.”