Bond set for former SC school board member, lieutenant accused of a child sex abuse crime
Bond set for former SC school board member, lieutenant accused of a child sex abuse crime
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THREAT TO THE PUBLIC. BOND HAS BEEN SET FOR AN ANDERSON COUNTY MAN ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR. A JUDGE GRANTED 48 YEAR OLD GREG HAYDEN A $100,000 BOND. HE’LL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE GPS MONITORING. DEPUTIES ARE INVESTIGATING A REPORTED INTERACTION BETWEEN HAYDEN AND A CHILD ON JULY 30TH. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE PICKED A CHILD UP AT A NEARBY AND NEARBY DRIVERS. WITNESSED SIGNS OF, QUOTE, SEXUAL ABUSE. AUTHORITIES SAY HE KNEW THE CHILD THROUGH A CHURCH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. I THINK IT’S ALWAYS SURPRISING AND SHOCKING, PROBABLY EVEN MORE SO WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO’S VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT’S KIND OF THE FIRST THING THAT WE’VE KIND OF HEARD FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN ANDERSON FIVE WITH. ANDERSON. DISTRICT FIVE DOES NOT BELIEVE ONE OF ITS STUDENTS IS INVOLVED. THEY WERE INFORMED OF THE INVESTIGATION LAST WEEK AND PLACED HAYDEN ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. HE HAS SINCE RESIGNED. DISTRICT ONE SAYS HAYDEN HAS RESIGNED, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. A PRELIMINARY TRIAL IS SET FOR OCTOBER 30TH.
Bond set for former SC school board member, lieutenant accused of a child sex abuse crime
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. —
A former member of the Anderson County School District One Board of Trustees, who was also the School Safety and Security Supervisor for Anderson District 5, and a former lieutenant with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, is accused of a child sex abuse crime.
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(Video above shows him at the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Thursday morning)
Gregg Hayden turned himself in to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Thursday morning.
The judge assigned Hayden a $100,000 surety bond and GPS monitoring at a bond hearing in the afternoon. Hayden's preliminary trial will be on Oct. 30.
He is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
WYFF News 4
Gregg Hayden
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office said the following on Thursday:
"An investigation shows Hayden and the child are not related, however know each through a church mentorship program. On July 30th, Hayden picked up the child to play basketball when nearby drivers say they witnessed signs of sexual abuse unfolding in the truck."
Arrest warrants for Hayden said he groped the private parts of a 12-year-old several times in an attempt to arouse the child victim for sexual gratification.
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The warrants said Hayden also allowed the victim to grope his private parts in an attempt to satisfy his own sexual gratification.
A spokesperson for the child survivor spoke in the bond hearing:
"I just ask the defendant to search his heart, and I trust he would do the right thing for a child that has never had anyone do right for him. This child still believes he is a good and honorable man and so do I."
Sheriff Chad McBride said these charges can carry weight if Hayden is convicted. Each is considered a felony with different "maximum" sentences.
McBride said he is not often surprised in this role, but added he was shaken by the case, alongside many in the community who knew Hayden well for a life of public service.
"To violate that oath that you make to be a law enforcement officer, it's hard to even grasp that that would happen. He retired, I think about a year and a half ago, and he's been working with the school district. So now you got somebody that's involved in working with kids and around kids in the school district and also serves as a decision maker on the school board," McBride said. "This is a very shocking and sad, but makes you mad, you know, makes me mad. Very mad. So that's kind of where I'm at with this case. I'm still processing stuff, probably like the community."
The district spokesperson said the following when asked about the arrest:
"Anderson One is aware of the arrest of one of our board members, who was recently appointed to the board in April 2025. Anderson One is reviewing the appropriate next steps."
As of Thursday evening, the district said Hayden has resigned effective immediately.
The spokesperson said Hayden was appointed by the Anderson County Board of Education in April 2025 after another member resigned from their position.
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Hayden was also the School Safety and Security Supervisor for Anderson District 5 until he resigned Wednesday, according to Kyle Newton, the district spokesman.
Newton said he was hired by the district in February 2024 after he retired from the sheriff's office. In the role, Newton said Hayden's responsibilities included working with school resource officers at high schools or enforcing security protocols, including weapons detector systems, active shooter or fire drills, and locking doors.
The district website lists the purpose of the Department of Safety and Security: "To provide Anderson School District Five and its community a safe, secure place to educate our future scholars."
"It's always surprising and shocking and probably even more so when you have somebody who was very involved in the community. I think that’s kind of the first thing that we’ve kind of heard from the community that we have here in Anderson, five, which is, you know, just someone that was pretty visible not only in our community, but, you know, being on school board," Newton said.
Newton said the district was informed of the allegations last week and Hayden was put on administrative leave. Newton said that the district has no reason to believe that any Anderson Five student was involved in any way.
"Well-respected, well-known throughout the Anderson one community, obviously known here in Anderson five as well. It's people you least expect. You don't ever think about any employee that you have. Everybody goes through background checks, and people are vetted," Newton said.
Hayden was a lieutenant with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office until he retired in 2024.
It said, "In his 25 years of service, he has served in Dispatch (911), Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations and Internal Affairs. He currently serves as the Lieutenant over School Resource Officers."
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said Thursday, "It matters none what position you have held in the past or what position you currently hold, if you abuse a child, we are going to do everything in our power to seek justice for any child victim."
McBride said they did not hesitate to gather evidence in the case.
"Sometimes these people can't be called in a background check. It's rare to see this in law enforcement. Our detectives have done a really good job on this case. I'm very proud of them because it's never easy to work a case when it's potentially people that you are at least acquainted with." Newton said. "I don't care who you are, what your background is, what position you hold in the community, what position maybe you used to hold in the community. You know, if there is potential for you to harm a child, we're coming after you."
On Thursday evening, a judge set Hayden's bond for $100,000. If Hayden posts bail, he will be required to have GPS monitoring.
Once again, I can't fathom the situation where I'd find myself talking to someone underage let alone being in a situation where someone could call me a pedo.
I barely like conversing with someone in their 20s let alone someone younger than that.
1/31
@antifaoperative
There were 34 church leaders & christian school employees who were arrested, pled guilty and/or were sentenced to prison for child sex crimes in the month of July.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A 54-year-old Cantonment man is charged with molesting a 5-year-old in Escambia County.John White was arrested on Aug. 26 on these char
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