South Carolina

Police: Man threw 13-year-old girl from car after sex assault in SC

Derek Nelson

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Authorities say a man from Georgia came to South Carolina to have sex with a 13-year-old girl and threw her out of his vehicle while speeding away from police.

Richland County deputies said an officer saw 30-year-old Derek Nelson of Augusta, Georgia, climb from the back seat to the front seat of his car and speed away from a Columbia parking lot at 3 a.m. Sunday.

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Deputies said in a statement that Nelson was only wearing a t-shirt when his car was stopped.

Deputies found a girl nearby and she said she was thrown from the vehicle. She suffered injuries to her hands, arms and legs.

Nelson faces criminal sexual conduct, assault, sexual exploitation of a minor and several other charges. It wasn't known if he had a lawyer.