Four Oconeeans confess to sex crimes

A 35-year-old Oconeean is being allowed to remain on home incarceration, in this instance, as part of the court sentence that settles his case of sexual exploitation of a minor third degree.  Ernest Joseph McDonald pleaded guilty this afternoon in front of Judge Scott Sprouse.  The sentence:  10 years prison, suspended to three years home incarceration, followed by five years probation, and further counseling.  The judge today heard four cases of computer-generated sex crimes that victimized victims of minor age. All cases were prosecuted by the office of the South Carolina Attorney General, represented today in the Oconee General Sessions Court by Steven Ryan.  Three defendants who admitted guilt to separate sex crimes were sent to prison.  McDonald’s case was different as a renowned physician in the field of sex crimes against children pronounced McDonald as someone who doesn’t fit the criteria of predator or pedophile and is likely to not re-offend.  The defendant holds a job in the manufacturing field and earlier received an honorable discharge as a marine who served in Afghanistan.  McDonald’s lawyer, Chris Jones, said the trigger incident that led his client to break the law occurred during his Afghanistan service tour when he witnessed an incident child sex abuse and did not report it to his supervisor which, Jones said, his client regrets not reporting.  In each sentence today, there’s the requirement of registering as a sex offender.  As Judge Sprouse cautioned each defendant, it’s a registry that’ll follow them through life.