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A faith-based South Carolina councilman is facing allegations of physical and sexual child abuse after local police asked state investigators to take over his criminal case.
Gregory Rensberger, a longtime councilman for the Town of Duncan in Spartanburg County, is now under investigation by agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
In a statement to FITSNews, SLED said it was requested by the Duncan Police Department on September 8 to investigate the disturbing allegations lodged against Rensberger.
“SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing at this time,” the statement read.
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As for how this saga began, Duncan Police Chief Benjamin Cox said in a separate statement that he was notified on September 7 of “possible criminal allegations” against the councilman.
He added that he met with the complainant the following day and determined a criminal investigation “needed to take place.”
“Because a current council member was involved in the investigation,” Cox said, “I immediately contacted (SLED) and informed them of what I was dealing with and the information I had at this point.”
He emphasized that SLED was ultimately requested due to a conflict of interest for both the department and the town.
“I appreciate the continuous partnership that SLED provides not only with the Duncan Police Department, but agencies across the state,” he added.
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Per Rensberger’s campaign website, he describes himself as both “dedicated” to God and a “faithful” church member. The site also highlights his role as a youth mentor.
The website further markets him as a “head coach” for Spartanburg’s District Five Youth Sports Organization (D5Rebels), and includes photos of him wearing a D5 Rebels jersey alongside children at a water park.
Both his campaign website and LinkedIn profile list him as having served as a councilman for the Town of Duncan since 2017.
As of this publishing, he remains listed as a sitting member of that same council.
Earlier this year, the town’s administrator and event coordinator, a husband-and-wife duo, were fired after a physical altercation between the two of them triggered a separate SLED investigation.
This story may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.
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