Owner of Beaufort County ductwork company charged with sexually abusing young girl

Evan McKenna
·2 min read
78

A Bluffton man and owner of a local air duct cleaning company faces an accusation of child sexual abuse as police investigate his alleged involvement with a young girl, according to the Bluffton Police Department.

Christopher Ray Donelson, 52, was charged Friday with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, jail records show.

Bluffton police have accused Donelson of inappropriately touching a young girl he knew and saw regularly. The alleged abuse spans six years, beginning when the girl was 7, according to department spokesperson Sgt. Bonifacio Perez.

The investigation began after the Department of Social Services received an anonymous tip detailing the allegations, which were confirmed by the victim during a forensic interview with the young girl. Donelson turned himself in to Bluffton police early Friday morning after learning of the investigation, Perez said.

Donelson, who moved to Bluffton in 2008, is the owner of Air Duct Southeast LLC (formerly Air Duct Dr LLC), which specializes in air duct and dryer vent cleaning services in Beaufort County and Savannah, according to previous reporting. The businessman’s public LinkedIn profile also names him as owner of local solar power and food delivery services.

Donelson was featured in an Island Packet story in November when a DNA test connected him with a long-lost daughter from Iowa.

He was released Friday from the Beaufort County Detention Center after posting 10% bond on bail set at $20,000.

If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour Support Line at 843-770-1070.

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