NEWBERRY — A man who admitted to sexually abusing a 5-year-old child was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Wednesday.
Jason Corey Sexton pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of incest.
Circuit Judge William C. McMaster sentenced Sexton to 15 years in prison on each count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, ordering the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 30 years. McMaster also imposed a one-year sentence for incest, to run concurrently. Sexton’s convictions require mandatory sex offender registration and lifetime GPS monitoring.
On May 28, 2026, the child’s mother contacted the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office to report that her child had disclosed sexual abuse by Sexton. The mother told investigators that she confronted Sexton about the abuse and that he confessed.
Sexton subsequently gave a lengthy interview to investigators in which he admitted to sexually abusing the child on at least four occasions between March and May 2026. Portions of Sexton’s recorded confession were played in court during Wednesday morning’s plea and sentencing hearing.
Assistant Solicitor Bret Price handled the case for the state with assistance from 8th Circuit Victim Advocate Mary Winnington and 8th Circuit Investigator Jeremiah Sinclair. Sexton was represented by Chad Jenkins of the Newberry County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff along with Investigators Casey Wilson and Zack Allen of the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office in bringing Sexton to justice. Their investigation secured a detailed confession documenting repeated abuse of the young child.
“Every child deserves to be safe and protected from abuse,” Solicitor Stumbo said. “It is the number one priority for my office to protect our children and the future of our communities from predators like this one. We hope and pray that this brave young survivor of abuse will gain some measure of closure and do great things in her life going forward.”
