WALTERBORO, SC (Jan. 29, 2026) – A 31-year-old Walterboro man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl during a birthday party and sleepover.
Rakeem Rydell Walker of Buffalo Lane was convicted Wednesday of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor for an Aug. 17, 2016, assault at a Raynor Lane home. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The girl, who had turned 12 the day before, was at her friend’s home to celebrate with a sleepover when the assault occurred in the home’s living room while others slept. Shortly after the assault, the girl disclosed that she was repeatedly groped by Walker and forced to perform oral sex on him. An adult in the home called the police and the girl’s mother.
When deputies arrived, they found Walker bleeding from the head where he had been struck by the girl’s mother.
“Justice is not bound by a clock,” said Julie Kate Keeney of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “In South Carolina, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault, and we remain committed to holding offenders accountable, no matter how much time has passed.”
Additionally, Walker’s DNA was found on the girl’s shirt and a blanket.
Walker’s prior criminal record includes convictions for simple possession of marijuana (2012); receiving stolen goods (2014); receiving stolen goods more than $10,000; failure to stop for blue light; and unlawful carrying of a pistol (2018).
Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds handed down Wednesday’s sentence.
Keeney oversees prosecutions in Colleton County. She has been a prosecutor for 15 years.
