Police: Charlotte, NC Man Arrested For Having Sex With 12-Year-Old Aiken Girl

Aiken, SC—Aiken County investigators say his real name is Sampson Nimmo. But they say that’s not the name this 25-year-old Charlotte man gave when he began chatting online with a 12-year-old girl at her Aiken home.

Capt. Troy Elwell, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office: “The mother became aware of it, early on in May. They came to the Sheriff’s Office, made us aware of it.”

Investigators say they took over the 12-year-old girl’s screen name, and her chats with Nimmo.

It was then, Cpt. Elwell says, they discovered Nimmo had traveled to Aiken to see the victim before.

According to arrest warrants, Nimmo visited three times before the young girl’s mother found out about the situation. Investigators say he had sex with the girl at least once.

The fourth time Nimmo came to visit was Friday, and Aiken County Sheriff’s Office deputies were waiting.

Capt. Elwell: “We try to level the playing field. The young adults don’t know who they’re speaking to online, so we try to make it to where the individuals trying to prey on them, don’t know who they’re speaking to online.“

Charlotte police are now in the process of searching Nimmo’s home, and looking at who else he might have been talking to online…

Capt. Elwell: “There’s nothing to say that just because we have one victim here, there’s not 20 more throughout the Southeast. This is one of those cases where we did stop this individual, however, we may have stopped him a little too late, but at least we know he will not commit this crime again.“

Nimmo is being held at the Aiken County Detention Center on an $85,000 bond.

Meanwhile, the Aiken County deputy who was handling that investigation is out of a job. Mark Patterson is charged with unlawful use of a telephone. The Burnettown Police Chief tells us Patterson had an argument in Burnettown with his estranged wife at their home on Fourth Street.

A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office says this will not affect the case against Sampson Nimmo.

Read the full (victim’s name blacked out) incident report

View the update on this case: Charlotte, NC Man Facing More Charges In Aiken Child Sex Arrest