The South Carolina Attorney General's Office says four suspects recently were sentenced on child sex crime charges. The charges came after the Oconee County Sheriff's Office searched the homes of four offenders and found child pornography.
The four suspects Timothy Watkins, Ernest McDonald, Ronnie Kelley and Terry Belk all were charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. Kelley was sentenced to 10 years, Belk got a plea deal and was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Watkins had a prior sex crime conviction, he was sentenced to 5 years and was given credit for time served.
McDonald's 10 year sentence was suspended to three years of house arrest. The judge was lenient with McDonald, because he had no prior record and is a military combat veteran.