WALTERBORO – A 68-year-old Cottageville man was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week for sexually assaulting a 4-year-old child.
Steve Collins pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
The offense occurred between August of 2013 and August of 2014.
Collins is a registered sex offender with a prior criminal record.
Convictions from Virginia include:
• 1979 – Unlawful entry
• 1990 – Forcible sodomy
• 1991 – Attempted aggravated sexual battery
“This was the maximum sentence for this charge,” said the case’s prosecutor, Assistant Solicitor Reed Evans. “The judge clearly took into consideration this man’s prior record. I am pleased the young child in this case was spared from having to testify.”
The case was prosecuted in front of Circuit Court Judge R. Lawton McIntosh. The sentence was handed down on Monday, Dec. 14, 2015.
