Lexington County man pleads guilty to sex crimes involving 15-year-old, official says

A Lexington County man is going to prison after pleading guilty to committing sex crimes against a teenager, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday.

Randy Carroll Rawl was sentenced to concurrent 8-year prison sentences after pleading guilty to charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and criminal solicitation of a minor, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.

Rawl will also will have to register as a Tier 2 sex offender, according to the release. Being a Tier 2 sex offender means Rawl will remain on the registry for 25 years and must report for verification twice a year, according to South Carolina law.

Lexington County court records show Rawl, a Gilbert resident, was also charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and another count of criminal solicitation of a minor, but those crimes were not prosecuted.

On Oct. 11, 2019, a Lexington County woman reported to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department that she discovered text messages between her 15-year-old son and two adult males, in which both men, independently of each other, propositioned the minor for sexual activity, according to the release. One of the men was identified as Rawl, the Attorney General’s Office said.

While looking at the teen’s phone, law enforcement officers reviewed a text message thread between the 15-year-old and Rawl, according to the release. Texts from Rawl discussed sexual activity with the minor, and a video of the minor engaging in sexual activity was provided to Rawl, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The victim later identified Rawl out of a photo lineup, and during an interview with law enforcement officers, Rawl admitted talking to the teen and going to the minor’s home in Lexington County to engage in sexual activity, according to the release.

This is not the first time Rawl has been convicted of a crime.

In 2006, Rawl was found guilty of operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs, negligent operation of a boat, and expiration of boat registration, court records show.

Earlier this year, Rawl was convicted of a similar crime, when he was found guilty of a charge of operating, or giving permission to operate, a personal watercraft without wearing approved flotation device, according to court records.

Rawl is not the only Midlands man recently convicted on sex crimes involving children.

Sumter County resident Mark Christopher Gainey was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleaded guilty Monday to charges of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (distribution) and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (possession), according to the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.