BEAUFORT, SC (Feb. 26, 2016) – A Bluffton man who sexually assaulted a child was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.
A jury found Benjamin Cervantes Hernandez, 36, guilty of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. They deliberated fo about 3 1/2 hours at the Beaufort County Courthouse.
The incident occurred in the summer of 2015 at a Bluffton home.
“This was a very difficult process for the victim in this case and her family,” said Assistant Solicitor Julie Kate Keeney. “They considered the defendant a family member, and he destroyed their trust.”
As part of Hernandez’s sentence, he must register as a sex offender.
Circuit Court Judge John C. Hayes, III, handed down the sentence.
