A Barnwell neighborhood was blocked off last week as law enforcement searched for a dangerous individual.
Cory Allan Caudill, 37, of Barnwell, was charged with one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor 11-14 years of age in the second degree, and one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, according to Barnwell Police Chief Lamaz Robinson.
On the morning of Tuesday, July 26, the Barnwell Police Department (BPD) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) were present on Hagood Avenue in Barnwell in an attempt to apprehend Caudill. However, he was not located at that time.
Later that same day, Caudill was stopped by a Louisiana State Trooper and taken into custody. He was booked at the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.
Here, Caudill waived extradition, meaning he will be brought back to Barnwell County to face these charges without an extradition trial in the state he was apprehended. Caudill will be brought back to Barnwell County at a later date.
According to the warrant for the delinquency related charge, on July 23 at his home on Hagood Avenue, he “knowingly and willfully commit[ed] the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor by providing alcohol” to the individual and encouraging them to consume it.
According to the warrant for sexual conduct with said minor, Caudill willfully assaulted the victim with the “intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in the second degree by performing lewd or lascivious acts” upon the individual.
This warrant goes into further detail of the assault itself, and for the sake of the victim, their family, and BPD’s current active investigation, The People-Sentinel will not be disclosing the intricacies of the assault.
BPD investigators have charged Caudill with these crimes and the case will be prosecuted by the 2nd Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
“Due to the nature of the case and charges, this is all we will release at this time,” said Chief Robinson in an update on the case. “Details of the investigation are limited as we are still conducting the investigation and this case remains open.”
