Former Travelers Rest officer accused of sexual assault denied bond reduction
A former Travelers Rest police officer was denied a bond reduction Friday morning after he was previously charged with criminal sexual conduct and misconduct in office.
Gerard James Hildebrandt, 42, was charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in April for a sexual assault that occurred at Travelers Rest High School in July 2022. The assault occurred while Hildebrandt was on duty.
At the bond hearing Friday, assistant solicitor, Shannon Odom, said Hildebrandt responded to a call involving the victim who was reported as intoxicated. Odom said Hildebrandt persuaded her to drive to an abandoned area “instead of arresting her” for driving under the influence.
Arrest warrants released by SLED state Hildebrandt forced the victim to perform oral sex and forced her into other sexual conduct. Warrants noted evidence for the arrest was based on body camera footage, physical evidence and statements from the victim and witnesses.
According to termination documents reviewed from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, Hildebrandt admitted to having oral sex on duty but claimed the sex was consensual.
During the hearing, Odom said Hildebrandt was not considered a flight risk. However, because he was in a position of authority during the commission of the crime, Odom argued he should be considered a danger to the community and denied a bond reduction.
“He’s part of the reason trust in law enforcement has gone down,” Odom said.
Hildebrandt remains held at the Greenville County Detention Center on a $150,000 surety bond.
Bakari Sellers, attorney with Strom Law Firm representing the victim, said he will be filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against Hildebrandt and the Travelers Rest Police Department.
“He violated this woman's trust,” Sellers said. “He took her to a dark area and raped her.”
Sellers said he encourages other potential victims of Hildebrandt to come forward.
Former Travelers Rest officer previously terminated in Laurens County
Hildebrandt was previously terminated from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office in 2021 after an excessive use of force violation. Documents from CJA state Hildebrandt “grabbed the neck of an arrested individual that was handcuffed behind his back with an open hand obstructing the individual’s airflow.”
“We hope that some of these smaller departments look at their hiring practices,” Sellers said. "How he got hired in another city is beyond me.”
Travelers Rest Police Chief, Benjamin Ford, told the Greenville News in April that his office was notified of the incident the afternoon of July 3 and terminated Hildebrandt within four hours after speaking with him and the victim. Ford said he called SLED shortly after to investigate the criminal conduct but also conducted an internal investigation related to department policies.
"Obviously, I don’t tolerate that type of conduct and that shows from me terminating him in four hours," Chief Ford said. "We don’t tolerate that type of conduct in the city of Travelers Rest."
The victim was not a student or employee of Greenville County Schools and the incident did not occur during school hours, according to GCS spokesperson, Tim Waller.
Kathryn Casteel is an investigative reporter with The Greenville News and can be reached at KCasteel@gannett.com or on Twitter @kathryncasteel
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Former TR officer accused of sexual assault denied bond reduction
