Man from the north of the state convicted of sex crimes against children receives retrial

PICKENS, SC (FOX Carolina) – The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled in favor of an Upstate man who was convicted of a sex crime against a child and will now receive a retrial.

In 2014, a jury found Justin Ryan Cone guilty of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. He was accused of sexually abusing a child between the ages of 5 and 9.

Cone appealed his conviction, which was initially upheld. However, after serving a third of his sentence, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the conviction and remanded the case to the district court so Cone could receive a new trial.

The Supreme Court said the trial court erred in weighing the testimony of an alleged victim and in instructing the jury regarding that testimony.

No new date or location has been set for Cone's trial.

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