Category: Story

Blythewood Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking Charges

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Brian Leroy Watson/ASGDC

Brian Leroy Watson/ASGDC

A Blythewood man was indicted for forcing or attempting to force several victims — including a minor — into prostitution during a three-year span, authorities announced Thursday.

Brian Leroy Watson, 48, was taken into custody on Thursday by the FBI. He is scheduled to make his first appearance at the federal courthouse in Columbia on Tuesday, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Watson was indicted on attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted sex trafficking and seven counts of sex trafficking.

The indictment alleges Watson forced seven victims into prostitution from May 2016 through November 2019 during different time periods. Also, between January and February 2016, he attempted to force a victim into prostitution, the indictment states. During that same time period, he attempted to prostitute a minor, a teenaged girl, who he advertised on websites, according to the indictment.…

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‘Peace Officer:’ How RCSD Transitioned From Warriors to Guardians

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Deputies with Peace Officer patch

RCSD deputies donning uniforms retrofitted with the new “Peace Officer.”

The next time you see a Richland County deputy, you may notice something different on their uniforms.

To be specific — it’s their patch.

In addition to “Deputy Sheriff,” the patches on the uniforms and vests of the deputies will now say, “Peace Officer.”

On July 2, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced that the department had retrofitted all of the uniforms and vests of deputies with the new patch, culminating an effort to shift the department’s culture that started nearly a decade ago.

The groundbreaking initiative is the result of a partnership with Police2Peace, which started with adding decals to all of the department’s vehicles that read “Peace Officer.”…

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K-9 to Assist in Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking Cases

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Inv. Cassandra Radford-Morris and Oakley.

A new K-9 is set to join the ranks of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s pawed patrols.

Oakley, an 18-month-old English Labrador, was introduced on Tuesday at the South Carolina State House by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster. Oakley, a female, will be tasked with detecting electronic devices, which are used by offenders of child pornography and human trafficking.
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