Man faces charges in sexual assault, kidnapping in 2016 of SC woman, police say
A North Augusta, South Carolina, man faced several felony charges Wednesday after police accused him in a sexual assault case from 2016, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Billy Joe Ash, 41, was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime. He was charged with kidnapping for allegedly holding the woman against her will at gunpoint, according to police.
On June 20, 2016, an anonymous caller reported a woman was being chased down the road by a man in a car, and “it appeared a sexual assault had taken place,” said Chief Deputy Jeff Crosby, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office. When police went to the area, the woman was able to get away and the driver, identified by Crosby as Ash, had sped off.
Details of Ash’s arrest and why it took seven years to bring charges were not immediately available Thursday.
He remains in custody at the Jasper County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour Support Line at 843-770-1070.
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