A Midland Valley High School officer who admitted having a sexual relationship with a student was sentenced to 90 days in jail this week and probably won’t serve half of that, The Jail Report has learned.
Donald Henry Jr., 57, pleaded guilty Thursday to sexual battery on a student, according to Solicitor Strom Thurmond Jr.
Henry, a former Aiken County sheriff’s deputy, was facing as many as five years in prison for the offense. He admitted in court this week that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.
Henry was charged in February 2017 after two friends of the student informed the guidance counselor at Midland Valley High School that their friend had a sexual relationship with the school resource officer.
“Upon his arrest, Henry was cooperative with law enforcement, and gave a full confession as to his sexual relationship with the student that began in October 2016,” the solicitor said. “The student was 17 years of age at the time of the incident. Both parties informed law enforcement that the relationship was consensual.”
On Thursday, after a guilty plea without recommendation by the Solicitor’s Office, Judge Doyet A. (Jack) Early III sentenced the former deputy to 5 years. But the judge suspended that sentence and ordered 90 days in the county jail followed by 5 years of probation. His probation includes one year of house arrest.
The 90-day sentence was just small enough to avoid transfer to a state prison, authorities said.
Because Officer Henry once worked at the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the jail asked officials at the Edgefield County Detention Center to house him. Henry is serving his time there and will likely get out after only 44 days since he will earn time off for good behavior and will get credit for a day spent in jail, according to Capt. Nick Gallam with the Aiken County Detention Center.
The move to Edgefield County also serves as a security issue since the inmate once served as a law enforcement officer in Aiken County.
Background: SLED was the investigating agency and made the arrest in February 2017. Authorities say Henry committed sexual battery with a 17-year-old student at Midland Valley High School several times between October 2016 and January 2017. He worked as an SRO at the school near the Burnettown community. Henry resigned before the investigation began.
Henry had worked at Midland Valley since 2005 with a break for military service.
At the time, the school district released this statement: “We are terribly disappointed by today’s arrest of a former school resource officer entrusted with providing a safe learning environment for our students and faculty members.”
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