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<p><strong>By Tony Kukulich</strong></p>
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<p>A Marine stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort was arrested last week in Kershaw County after allegedly traveling there intending to have a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl.</p>
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<p>Devin Thomas Pafford of Beaufort, a 27-year-old active-duty E5 sergeant, was charged with second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor; second-degree criminal solicitation of a minor and failure to stop for a blue light.</p>
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<p>According to information released by the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Pafford arrived at a predetermined location for the encounter, Thursday, March 17. There he was confronted by law enforcement officers conducting a multi-agency undercover operation. Pafford fled in his car and led police on a chase. He was apprehended when his vehicle was disabled by stop sticks deployed by a Sheriff’s Office deputy.</p>
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<p>No one was injured in the chase.</p>
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<p>Pafford is currently being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center.</p>
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<p>“I want to be crystal clear about one thing,” said Sheriff Lee Boan. “We have zero tolerance for anyone that tries to harm a child in Kershaw County. We will always protect our children.”</p>
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<p>The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is involved in the investigation due to Pafford’s status as an active-duty Marine.</p>
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<p><em>Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:tony.theislandnews@gmail.com">tony.theislandnews@gmail.com</a>.</em></p>
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