Darlington pair convicted in child abuse case

DARLINGTON — A Darlington County jury has convicted a man and his former girlfriend in connection with the abuse of her two children.

Fourth Circuit Judge Michael Baxley, who presided over the case, sentenced 59-year-old Glenn Russell Lee of Darlington to 30 years in jail for first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, 15 years for lewd act upon a minor and 10 years for two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. The sentences are to be served concurrently so that Lee will serve 30 years in all.

The criminal sexual conduct charge fell under Jessie’s Law, which mandated he be sentenced at least 25 years to life in prison for the crime, said Suzanne Mayes of the S.C. Commission on Prosecution Coordination, who prosecuted the case.

Lee was arrested in 2008 and is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, lewd act upon a minor and two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child.

Baxley sentenced 30-year-old Donna Marie Buie of Darlington to 10 years in jail for each of the two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child she faced to be served concurrently with 37 days credit for time served.

Once released from jail, Baxley ordered, Buie is to seek treatment for her drug problems.

One of the victims in the case, Buie’s 11-year-old daughter, leaned into her father’s arms as he cradled her while Baxley read from her victim’s impact statement just before sentencing.

“What happened to me makes me feel insecure and embarrassed,” the girl wrote in the statement.

The girl also wrote she loved her mother but wanted her to be incarcenrated so that she could get some help.

Buie was a normal mother with a job before she moved in with Lee and began taking cocaine and abusing methadone, the child said.

“Your daughter is advocating for you,” Baxley told Buie during the hearing.

“She’s on your side, but you were not on her side. Even today, you are not on her side,” Baxley said, noting Buie elected to stand trial and put her daughter through the difficulties of having to testify. This world is not about you and what you want to do.”

Baxley also said any mother who is thinking about dating someone should consider her children first.

“You triggered a series of events that could have cost them their lives,” he told Buie.

Before handing down the sentence, Baxley allowed Buie to address her daughter.

“I’m sorry (victim’s name). I love you,” Buie said, choking back tears as her daughter sobbed quietly.

Just before his sentencing, Lee told Baxley he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and he didn’t hurt anyone that he knew of.

Baxley asked Lee how he could say that.

Lee maintained during his sentencing he didn’t hurt anyone and he didn’t do anything wrong.

When Baxley asked him why didn’t he take the stand in his own defense during his trial, Lee said it was because he didn’t want to be cross-examined by the prosecution.

Lee was convicted in 1987 of trafficking cocaine and was sentenced to 25 years in jail, but was released by the early 1990s because of a change in drug laws, Mayes said.

Leee was also arrested and charged in connection with the sexual abuse of his ex-wife’s young daughter 10 years ago, but those charges ultimately were dismissed. That alleged victim, who is now a 20-year-old college student, testified against Lee in this trial.

After sentencing her two abusers, Baxley told the victim she had a lot of courage and he was proud of her.

Baxley said he hoped one day the 11-year-old girl could turn this ordeal into a positive experience, perhaps by pursuing a law career and standing up for other victims.

“This part of the nightmare is over. You can move forward from this,” he said.

Through Buie and Lee are also charged in connection with the abuse of Buie’s young son. He didn’t testify and very little was said about him during the trial, the defense attorneys said.

Before the jury deliberated, 4th Circuit Public Defender Rick Jones, who represented Buie in the case, said his client was on trial this week because of her realtionship with Lee.

Jones said he agreed with the prosecutors who accused Buie of doing illegal drugs in front of her children and forcing them to watch her have sex with Lee and several other women.

“It’s bad conduct. But is it criminal conduct?” Jones asked the jury.

Jones also quoted lyrics from a song by Jamie Johnson to describe Buie’s situation.

“The high cost of living is nothing like the cost of living high,” he said.