The day he got out of prison, this SC man committed another sexual assault, prosecutor says

The man accused of committing a sexual assault on the day he was released from prison for another sex-related assault received a long prison sentence Wednesday.

Kraig J. Anderson, 36, who was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct by a Charleston jury, received the maximum sentence, 30 years in prison, according to 9th District Solicitor Scarlett A. Wilson.

The incident Anderson was just convicted for occurred June 18, 2014, according to Wilson's office, which said Anderson encountered the victim at a North Charleston bar.

It was the same bar where Anderson began another sex-related assault in 2012, Wilson's office reported.

"On the very day he was released from prison for that conviction, he committed this offense," Wilson's office said.

In the 2014 incident, Anderson introduced himself to the victim, and video surveillance later showed him lurking behind the victim as she conversed with others, according to Wilson's office.

The surveillance video also showed Anderson waiting outside until the victim left the bar, and then following behind her before getting into her car and begging her for a ride home, which she agreed to, Wilson's office said.

As she drove him, he changed his story as to where he lived and lured her to a wooded area where he strangled her and raped her, Wilson's office reported.

During Anderson's trial, an expert witness for the prosecution said it was one of the worst cases of strangulation she had ever seen in a survivor, according to Wilson's office.

The 2012 incident led to Anderson’s DNA being collected and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which led to his identification, arrest and conviction, Wilson's office reported.

“Once again, we see how extremely important science and databases are in the criminal justice system," Wilson said in a news release. "CODIS definitely saved women from future trauma, and perhaps even from dying.”

Anderson had been accused of several other sexual assaults in other jurisdictions dating back to 2006, and was convicted of a rape in Germany, according to Wilson's office.

“I never doubted this day would come, that he would be found guilty,” the victim in the 2014 incident said as she addressed the court at Anderson's sentencing.

“This woman has shown so much resolve and patience in the criminal justice system," Wilson said. "She is strong and patient and we are grateful she stuck with us to get this conviction.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 4:25 PM with the headline "The day he got out of prison, this SC man committed another sexual assault, prosecutor says."