Bowen Turner.Photo: Bamburg County Detention Center
Chloe Bess was attending a party in June 2019 when Bowen Gray Turner sexually assaulted her,reportsThe Times and Democrat.
The paper was in court for Friday’s plea hearing, where prosecutors explained Turner pulled Bess behind a truck, removed her pants along with her shirt, panties and bra, and then “forced himself sexually” on her.
On Friday, Turner — who lives in Orangeburg — pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery, PEOPLE confirms through court records. He’d initially been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, those same records show.
“I just feel like no matter what we say it falls on deaf ears,” Bess said, standing alongside her family, including her pastor father. “It’s a very defeating feeling, but I refuse to be defeated.”
There were audible gasps from the gallery when Dennis announced his decision.
The attack on Bess happened while Turner was out on bond after being charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with aggravated force stemming from 2018 incident,the Times and Democratreports.
Stoller died on Nov. 24, 2021. A cause of death was not made public.
Prosecutors dropped the first-degree criminal sexual conduct with aggravated force against Turner after Stoller’s death. A third victim came forward with her own allegations, but for reasons not specified, charges were never filed in that case.
South Carolina’sFITSNews notes in its coverageof the proceedings Turner’s father, Walt Turner, once worked as an investigator for a prosecutor’s office in South Carolina.
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Appearing in court Friday, Karl Stoller, Dallas' father, said the sentence marked “a very sad day for victims in our state,” theTimes and Democratreports.
Dallas, he said, “made the difficult decision to move forward with the case, all the while knowing because of who her alleged attacker was, she would be a target of personal attacks and insults in the community.”
PEOPLE was unable to get Turner on the phone Thursday for comment. Attempts to contact his lawyers were also unsuccessful.
Calls to the prosecutor’s office were not returned.
source: people.com
