Alleged sex offender turns himself in

Published 6:53 pm Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Simon A. Hardison

 

A Washington man wanted for sexual battery has turned himself in to authorities, according to a press release by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The report of a sexual assault on Mill Road in Washington came on May 27 at approximately 9:50 p.m. Deputies responding to the scene spotted the suspect on Cherry Run Road and chased the man on foot, said the release.

Simon Allen Hardison Sr., 51, of Cherry Run Road, Washington was arrested at the time, charged with resisting a public officer, then released after posting bond.

After a sheriff’s office investigation, a warrant charging Hardison with sexual battery was issued. Hardison turned himself in to the Magistrates’ Office Wednesday.

Sexual battery, according to North Carolina statute, means a person engages in sexual contact with another person by force or against the will of the other person.