He admitted to sexually abusing two children in Horry County and now he wants a new trial
A man serving 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting two children by forcing them to have sex is asking for a new trial.
Panteleimon Spirakis recently filed a post-conviction relief request asking for his previous guilty plea be tossed out.
Spirakis pleaded guilty to three charges in August and was sentenced to two decades in prison. He faced up to 120 years.
Lindsey Honeycutt, Ambrose Heavener, Anthony Strickland and Spirakis each were charged with several crimes against children. Police say the four sexually exploited a 4-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl by forcing them to have sex with each other and adults. Some of the incidents happened at a Horry County strip club where Honeycutt worked.
As Spirakis’ August trial was set to start, Honeycutt pleaded guilty and agreed to testify. Moments after a jury was selected to hear Spirakis’ trial, he decided to plead guilty. Heavener and Strickland are still awaiting trial.
Spirakis now says his jury selection process is part of the reason he should get a new trial. In the recent filing, Spirakis argued the judge was told the jury pool was “tainted,” yet did not order a new jury selection process. Spirakis did not elaborate.
Defense attorney Ralph Wilson Sr. also failed to call witnesses, Spirakis said, to provide testimony on his behalf. Spirakis added that decision led him to plead guilty.
Spirakis is housed at Lee County Correctional Institute where he works as a machine operator, according to prison records.
This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 11:17 AM.
