GREAT FALLS, S.C. — The mother of a 5-year-old Great Falls girl told Channel 9 she was stunned to learn that a longtime friend was charged with sexually molesting her daughter.
"At first I was just shocked, then after the shock wore off, I just became angry," the woman said.
Channel 9 is not identifying her to protect the identity of her daughter.
David Lipford Jr., 27, was charged Thursday night with a second count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in Chester County. Lipford was already in jail where's he's been since August, facing a charge that police said involves another 5-year-old girl.
Great Falls police Sgt. Pat Parsons interviewed Lipford on Thursday night, and said he made a disturbing confession.
"He said 'I guess I'm just attracted to little girls," Parsons said.
Great falls police said the first incident happened in July when Lipford was staying with friends on church street. Friends told Channel 9 that Lipford had no local family and often went from place to place, living with friends. He had been released from prison after serving time for grand larceny when the alleged assault happened. The alleged victim was also staying in the home, with relatives.
"The family of the little girl was asleep, and he took her down the street to the store, and it was on that walk that the alleged touching happened, in a wooded area," Parsons said.
That victim came forward almost immediately, and police charged Lipford a few weeks later.
Two months after Lipford was locked up, a second child came forward in late September.
Lipford had been staying with another family on center street in great falls, and the second accuser was there too, visiting family.
Police said Lipford touched the girl in an inappropriate way while both were sleeping in the same room.
The girl's mother told Channel 9 that she was giving her daughter a bath one night when she just "shut down" and acted strangely.
"We knew there was something wrong, so we started asking her, and that's when it came out," the child's mother said.
Police took the child to a special forensic interviewer, and on Thursday night, they filed the second sex charge against Lipford.
His bond on the second charge is $250,000.
Channel 9 spoke to another relative who owns the house where the second alleged victim was staying. She said she couldn't believe Lipford would commit such a heinous crime.
"Never in a million years," she said. "Wherever I go, people know what's going on, because it happened in my home. It's embarrassing."
Great Falls police have interviewed at least one other child, and believe there could be other possible victims.
"I'm very concerned, " parsons said. "This man is a danger to children, for sure. That's why this is still an open, active case."
Channel 9 has also learned that Lipford's father, David Lipford Sr., is a registered sex offender In South Carolina. He was convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a 6-year-old girl in 1988.
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