Former Bamberg County councilman Kerry “Trent” Kinard — who already faced seven child sex charges and two federal gun charges — was recently hit with three additional child sex charges from Jasper County.
Kinard, 49, of Bamberg, S.C. was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a child, and committing a lewd act on a child, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Kinard is currently in federal custody after he was arrested in December for allegedly lying while trying to purchase a firearm in Columbia, South Carolina.
This week, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) filed court documents to transfer Kinard to state custody so he can be arraigned on the additional charges on Jan. 29.
The three additional child sex charges stem from crimes alleged while he was living in Ridgeland, South Carolina between 1993 and 1998.
He’s accused of having sex with a child under 14 in 1998, showing a child pornography in 1995, and “repeatedly grabbing, groping and fondling” a child under 16 in 1993, according to the arrest warrants.
Those charges were filed in December.
Original Child Sex Crime Charges
On September 25, 2020, Kinard was charged with first-degree assault and battery, first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor (two counts) and dissemination of obscene material (two counts).
In September, a judge initially denied Kinard’s bond and said he presented an “unreasonable danger to the community.”
In late October, a judge set Kinard’s bond at $75,000, under the condition he will be banned from Bamberg County for 90 days, wear an ankle monitor, and have no contact with his alleged victims.
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On October 27, a family court judge “entered a protective order restraining Kinard from threatening or using physical force against the petitioner,” after the judge found that Kinard “used or threatened to use physical force expected to cause bodily injury.”
Kinard posted bond and was released from jail on October 28.
In November, he was indicted on all charges but one — first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. In addition, he was indicted on one count of lewd act on a child.
Probable cause affidavits accompanying the indictments against Kinard detailed graphic child sex crimes dating back to 2008 – as well as crimes that allegedly took place as recently as September.
In the affidavit, police accuse Kinard of:
- displaying and presenting pornography to a juvenile male between 2008-2019, multiple times a year
- talking to a juvenile male for the purpose of sex between 2017-2018
- displaying and presenting porn to a juvenile female while at his residence in September 2020
- attempting vaginal intercourse with a girl who was between 14-16 years old between the years of 2016 and 2017
- talking to a juvenile female for the purpose of sex in September 2020
- touching the private parts of a juvenile female in September 2020
All crimes above allegedly occurred in Bamberg County.
Who is Kinard?
Kinard is a former S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) trooper who was first elected to his seat in 2012.
Following his indictment, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Kinard from his duties as county councilman.
He lost his reelection bid in the 2020 Democratic primary to challenger Phil Myers, however, and is no longer a councilman.
According to an award nomination, Kinard was very active in the Bamberg community. He was the PTO President of an elementary school, a youth football and basketball coach, and worked at the University of South Carolina as a sports information director.
Kinard, who is facing 10 state charges and two federal charges, is currently behind bars in Manning, South Carolina.
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