Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexually Abusing 12 Year-Old

Contact Person: Jim May (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina -----United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Leland Victor Nielsen, III, age 32, of Sumter, South Carolina, was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing a young girl. Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Nielsen today in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, after a jury previously convicted Nielsen of multiple counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child (18 U.S.C. § 2241(c)) and Sexual Abuse of a Minor (18 U.S.C. § 2243).

Evidence presented over a four-day trial established that for six months Nielsen systematically and methodically performed more and more sexual acts with the child, culminating with forcible sexual assault of the child on numerous occasions. “The protection of children, is an obligation of any civilized society,” stated United States Attorney Bill Nettles.  “This conviction and sentence underscore the fact that people who commit crimes against children have no place in society.”

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jim May and Jay Richardson of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.