Bond denied for registered sex offender charged with kidnapping 11-year-old girl
Bond was denied Wednesday for a registered sex offender who was charged with kidnapping an 11-year-old girl, among other crimes.
Charles Dennis Hargett will remain behind bars at the Kershaw County Detention Center, jail records show.
On Monday, the 63-year-old Kershaw resident was found in a crashed 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with the missing child, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said.
The registered sex offender, who has been convicted on multiple sex crime charges, appeared to be heavily intoxicated when he and the girl were found by deputies, the sheriff’s office said.
In addition to kidnapping, Hargett was charged with DUI (third offense), driving under suspension (DUI related, second offense), child endangerment, open container of beer or wine in a moving vehicle and open container of liquor/unlawful transportation of alcoholic liquors, jail records show.
Hargett is scheduled to appear in court again on these charges on Feb. 9.
The incident began Monday when the 11-year-old never returned home from school, the sheriff’s office said. She was reported missing and within an hour was found in the wrecked Chevy, according to the sheriff’s office.
The girl is now safe at home, according to the sheriff’s office.
She “seems to be doing well,” the sheriff’s office said. “Please keep her and her family in your prayers.”
Further information on the girl’s condition was not made available.
Messages left with the sheriff’s office weren’t immediately returned.
Hargett was added to the sex offender registry for multiple offenses — including convictions for second-degree rape and second-degree attempted sex offense by force.
He also has a previous record for crimes involving alcohol and driving.
In October 2020, Hargett pleaded guilty to a first offense of driving under suspension (DUI related), alcohol open container of beer or wine in moving vehicle, Kershaw County court records show. Charges are still pending from the Aug. 27 arrest on counts of habitual traffic offender status, driving under suspension (license suspended for DUI), and operation of a vehicle without ignition interlock device.
In 2018, Hargett was convicted on charges of DUI as well as habitual traffic offender status, court records show. He also pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in 2017, when he was also convicted for child endangerment, and habitual traffic offender status, according to court records.
Hargett was also convicted on an open container of beer or wine in motor vehicle charge in 2016, years after he was found guilty of a watercraft violation in 2009, court records show.
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