City worker charged in connection to rape near North Myrtle Beach oceanfront hotel
A North Myrtle Beach city employee has been charged in connection to a rape near a North Myrtle Beach hotel earlier this week.
Police charged Jeremy Donnie Clark, of Longs, with kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and possession of a firearm during a violent crime. He went before a municipal judge on Saturday and no bond was set, according to North Myrtle Beach officials.
Officers arrested Clark on Friday afternoon as they continued to investigate the May 6 incident.
The victim — a 21-year-old woman from Florida — said she was walking on the sidewalk near the Wyndham hotel, 403 S. Ocean Blvd., around 10 p.m. when the man pulled her into an alley and forced her to perform a sex act, the report states. The victim said the suspect held a gun to her head.
A witness passed by and that is when the suspect grabbed the victim’s phone, threw it to the side, and then ran from the area, the report states.
Officers spoke to the witness, who said he saw the incident near bushes and then heard the female say she was being sexually assaulted, according to the report. The suspect then said “I’m not touching her” and fled in an unknown direction.
Horry County police received an anonymous tip about Clark on Saturday, which was forwarded to North Myrtle Beach Public Safety. That tip led to his arrest, officials said.
Clark worked as a motor equipment operator for the City of North Myrtle Beach. He worked for the municipality for about two months, and was under a six-month probation hire period. City officials plan to fire Clark next week.
Correction: This story incorrectly identified the suspect’s employer. He worked for the City of North Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published May 11, 2019 at 2:12 PM.
