AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – A Graniteville, S.C. man has been charged in a federal complaint alleging he transported a minor across state lines for sex.
Jonathan Eugene Grantham, 45, of Graniteville, S.C., appeared today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps after his arrest on a federal complaint charging him with Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Sexual Activity, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Grantham is employed as a teacher at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School in Ridge Spring, S.C.
As described in court testimony, Grantham is accused of knowingly picking up a minor in Columbia County on or about July 20, 2019, and taking the minor across state lines to engage in prostitution.
Grantham remains in custody pending a detention hearing before Judge Epps.
A criminal complaint is only a charge; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons