Former School Resource Officer gets 15 years

HAMPTON, SC (Sept. 21, 2016) – A former middle school resource officer (SRO) in Hampton County has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A jury found Larry Heyward, 55, guilty Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, engaging in a lewd act with a minor and misconduct in office by a public official, following a three-day trial at the Hampton County Courthouse.

Heyward is a former Hampton County Sheriff’s deputy who was assigned as the SRO at Estill Middle School. The assaults against the child in the case began while he was a student at the middle school.

The victim recorded an explicit phone conversation between himself and the defendant, which was a key piece of evidence, according to the chief prosecutor, Deputy Solicitor Sean Thornton.

"The defendant used his position as a school resource officer to gain access to the victim in this case," Thornton said. "So often victims of sexual assault are never heard; in this case the victim was heard and justice was done."

Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper handed down the sentence and imposed the maximum sentence for each charge. Heyward will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Career Criminal Prosecutor and Assistant Solicitor Brian Hollen sat second chair.

BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL STORY POSTED WEDNESDAY EVENING. READ TODAY'S GUARDIAN FOR A DETAILED STORY ON THIS SHOCKING CASE.

ORIGINAL UPDATE WEDNESDAY EVENING

Larry Heyward, the former Hampton County Sheriff's Office School Resource Officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison today in Hampton County after jurors found Heyward guilty on three lesser charges of the six total charges brought against him.

Jurors deliberated for nearly three hours before reaching a guilty verdict on charges of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, engaging in lewd acts with a minor and for misconduct in office. He was found not guilty by a jury of his peers on the charges engaging in criminal sexual conduct with a minor at the Estill Middle School, engaging in criminal sexual conduct at his residence and for engaging in criminal sexual conduct at the home of Heyward's deceased father.

The Honorable Judge Thomas Cooper presided over the case and sentenced Heyward to 10 years in prison for criminal misconduct in office; 15 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct third degree; and 15 years for Lewd Act with a minor.

Heyward's sentence was ordered by the judge to run concurrently, meaning Heyward must complete 85% of a single 15 year sentence. By being found guilty on the lesser charges, Heyward will be eligible to be paroled from prison in the future.

Look for the first part of a detailed two part story about the Larry Heyward trial in your Hampton County Guardian Thursday morning.