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Saturday, July 19, 2008

CHILD SEX SCANDAL ROCKS S.C. PAGEANT

The director of the venerable Miss South Carolina beauty pageant has been charged with a felony count of sexually assaulting a child when she was 9 years old.

Joseph Pettigrew Sanders IV of Easley was arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with the child in 2005. The child, who is now 11 years old, came forward recently to report the incident that allegedly took place at a local Comfort Inn 3 years ago.

A second suspect, Anita Jordon Gearhart, has also been arrested in connection with the case.

Gearhart is charged with engaging in unlawful conduct with a child.

Sanders has been director of the Miss South Carolina Pageant for a number of years. Interestingly, he was under a federal investigation in 2006 for allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual activity with a pageant contestant.

No charges proceeded from that investigation.

For further information on this still-developing story, click HERE.

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