RIDGELAND, SC (July 25, 2017) – A Ridgeland man who broke into a 61-year-old woman’s house and sexually assaulted her has been sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Kyshon Jemeel Jenkins, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree burglary and first-degree criminal sexual conduct at the Jasper County Courthouse.
The burglary and attack occurred at about 10:35 p.m. Aug. 16, 2015. The victim awoke to find an armed man standing in her bedroom. He told the woman that if she made any noises, “he would kill her,” according to the case’s prosecutor, Assistant Solicitor Patrick Hall.
To distract the intruder, the woman told him there were some prescription medications in the kitchen. While he was in the kitchen, the woman fled the house and ran to a neighbor’s house. As she waited for the police to arrive, she spotted the attacker walking from her house.
DNA positively linked Jenkins as the person who raped the woman.
“Prosecuting sexual assault cases is taken very seriously and is a top priority by each prosecutor within our office,” said Assistant Solicitor Patrick Hall. “The state was ready to move forward with this case, but the defendant decided to plead guilty before a trial got underway.”
Jenkins’ record dates back to 2010 and includes convictions for drug distribution and indecent exposure.
Circuit Court Judge Perry Buckner handed down Tuesday’s sentence.
