A Liberty Man who was scheduled for trial in September pled guilty last week and received the maximum sentence allowed under the law, announced Tenth Circuit Solicitor Micah E. Black.
Donavan Jessie Austin Jr., 33, pled guilty on July 8, 2026, to Third-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor in Anderson County. Circuit Judge R. Scott Sprouse sentenced Austin to fifteen (15) years in prison, which is the maximum sentence allowed under South Carolina law. This charge is considered both “violent” and “serious,” and Austin must also register as a sex offender and be subject to wearing a lifetime ankle monitor upon his release from prison.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that between January 1st and August 16th, 2023, Austin inappropriately touched a minor victim and exposed himself to the minor on several occasions. The minor victim disclosed the defendant’s behavior to their family, and Austin later admitted to these crimes to a therapist who reported him to authorities.
Solicitor Black prosecuted the case for the State, with the assistance of Victim Advocate Stephanie Joseph. Black praised the work of Investigator Kirstie Erskine with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office for her work in securing a conviction in this case.
“Donavan Austin broke the trust of the minor victim’s family and stole the innocence of this child,” stated Solicitor Black. “While no sentence from the Court will ever be able to undo the evil this child experienced, my prayer is that this child and the family will be able to move forward. My office will continue every day to aggressively prosecute those who harm our children.”