Reed pleads guilty to 3 rape charges, sentenced to 30-35 years in prison
Published 3:56 pm Tuesday, May 18, 2021
- Larry D. Reed Jr. (Lawrence County Jail photo)
A man who was facing 101 charges of first-degree rape and one count of third-degree misdemeanor sexual imposition against two young girls has pleaded guilty to four charges on the second day of his trial.
Last week, Larry D. Reed Jr, 39, of Rock Hill, turned down an offer from the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office of pleading guilty and getting an indefinite sentence of 30 years to life in prison and instead, elected to have a jury trial, which started Monday in the Lawrence County Common Pleas Court of Judge Andrew Ballard.
On Tuesday, Reed changed his mind about the trial and pleaded guilty to three counts of committing rape by force or threat of force on a minor child victim and one count of sexual imposition on a minor child victim.
Ballard sentenced Reed to 30-35 years in prison and ordered Reed to register as a Tier III sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said that they had a very strong case against Reed and he agreed to a sentence of 30-35 years in prison for Reed to spare the two victims of having to testify against Reed.
“With this plea, the child victims did not have to testify in court,” Anderson said. “And the sentence is 30-35 years, so he will be 70-75 when he gets out.”
Anderson said that although there were 101 charges against Reed and he could have possibly been sentenced to a longer time in prison, “justice is served.”
If the trial had continued, the girls would have had to testify about each of the 101 charges and “completely relive the horrific experience.”
The investigation into Reed began after a parent told the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office that Reed had inappropriately touched her child while at his residence in Pedro. She also said that her daughter’s friend confided in her that she had been sexually molested by Reed over the past four to five years at his residence.
Investigators and deputies conducted emergency interviews with both female juveniles. In the interviews, the juveniles reported inappropriate touching of one female, age 15, on one occasion, and multiple counts of sexual conduct with the other female, age 14, over several years.