BEAUFORT, S.C. (Aug. 26, 2025) – A former Bluffton man has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a juvenile family member over several years.
James Etheridge Jones, 45, was found guilty Tuesday by a Beaufort County General Sessions jury of one charge each of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, which occurred over several years. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
“The victim in this case endured repeated abuse from this defendant over several years and threats of physical violence if she disclosed,” said Monica Main of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “She was very brave to testify in open court about the wrongs done to her. That is no easy thing. But she was credible, and Mr. Jones gets the just consequence for his actions.”
James Etheridge Jones Jr.
The victim was abused from between the ages of 6 and 14 and tried to tell her mother what was happening when she was 8. However, her mother did not believe her, and the abuse escalated afterward, she testified. The abuse stopped only after she was old enough to fight back, she testified, adding Jones seemed to lose interest in her as she got older. She disclosed to another relative when she was 16.
The Bluffton Police Department and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office investigated the charges.
Main called seven witnesses during one day of testimony at the Beaufort County Courthouse.
Circuit Court Judge Eugene P. Warr handed down the sentence.
Main is a team attorney for Beaufort County and has worked for the Solicitor’s Office since 2023.
The 14th Circuit Victims Services Center brings together several agencies to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and other crimes against vulnerable people. If you need assistance, call 1-843-790-6220 or email [email protected].
