Child records sexual assault of another child, leading to man’s guilty plea

Authorities say a 65-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in South Carolina after a child used a tablet computer to record him sexually assaulting another child.

Solicitor Rick Hubbard says Jerry Heard pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor before his trial started in Edgefield County.

Hubbard says the key evidence was audio of the attack on the 6-year-old child recorded by an 11-year-old using her tablet.

The prosecutor said in a statement the parents of the children listened to the recording and recognized Heard’s voice.

Hubbard said Heard was convicted in Alabama of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 12, but the crime was so old, South Carolina officials didn’t know he should have been on the sex offender registry.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 2:21 PM.