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Late last week, agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) made an arrest in Aiken County that generated tons of local headlines… and with good reason.
The case of 34-year-old Murray Craig Frank has a lot of layers, people… starting with the unexpected reveal that Frank is, well, not a man. Seriously… all three of those are male names, yet Murray Craig Frank is a woman (one whose parents obviously possessed a rudimentary conception of anthroponymy).
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Her curious christening notwithstanding, Frank finds herself in a serious situation… one which could land her behind bars for a considerable period of time.
The 34-year-old married mother of four has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and providing harmful material to a minor in connection. Those charges – which will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. second circuit solicitor Bill Weeks – incidents which allegedly occurred between March 31 and May 4 of this year. Both charges are felonies, and are punishable by up to 15 and ten years in prison, respectively.
According to probable cause affidavits accompanying warrants for Frank’s arrest, “on or between” the aforementioned dates she “did willfully and knowingly present harmful material to a minor under the age of eighteen.”
Specifically, “Frank sent the minor photographs to his cellular telephone depicting her breasts and vagina.”
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The minor child in receipt of this information disclosed it to his mother and during a SLED forensic interview, according to the affidavits. The child also disclosed that, on May 4, Frank allegedly “did willfully and lewdly commit or attempt to commit a lewd and lascivious act” on him by kissing him “on the lips and neck before proceeding to place his hand on her breast above clothing.”
“Frank also placed the child’s hand on her breast under her clothing and place his other hand above her pelvic area,” the affidavit continued.
The child is fourteen years old, according to the affidavits.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Frank is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as she may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges filed against her.
While the allegations themselves are disturbingly newsworthy – and cringeworthy – there are additional layers to consider.
First, SLED was requested to investigate the case by the Aiken County sheriff’s office owing to the fact Frank previously worked for the agency as one of its dispatchers. Not only that, the alleged victim in this case is purportedly connected to Frank through a “family relation,” although no further information regarding that relation was disclosed.
Count on this media outlet to keep our audience apprised of any pertinent developments related to this case…
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THE RELEASE…
(SLED)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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3 comments
Where were these women when I was 14?
You cool with a 34-year old man doing that with your 14-year old daughter? If not, probably shouldn’t get excited about this for a 14-year old boy.
All I know, is when I was 14, I would have welcomed her advances. But then, most boys weren’t gay or trans like they are today.