He was arrested in case of child rape at a Myrtle Beach strip club. Now, he’s suing police.
The man that police once said allowed child rape at a local strip club is suing police over his arrest now that his charges have been dropped.
Anthony Strickland filed a lawsuit in Horry County court this week against Horry County police and 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson. Richardson and Horry County police officials declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Strickland and three other people — Panteleimon Spirakis, Lindsey Honeycutt, Ambrose Heavener—were arrested in 2016 and accused of child rape and abuse. 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 Myrtle Beach strip club where Honeycutt worked, authorities said.
Spirakis previously pleaded guilty and is serving 20 years in prison. He has requested a new trial.
Heavener and his attorney negotiated an Alford plea, which is when a defendant does not admit to their role in the alleged incident, but says there is enough evidence they would likely be found guilty in a trial. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Honeycutt was also sentenced to 15 years in prison. Honeycutt and Heavener were in a relationship.
In 2019, the state announced it dropped the charges against Strickland and noted a co-defendant did not implicate him in the case.
In his lawsuit, Strickland states the victims told police they were assaulted at a strip club. Police decided the incidents happened at a club where Strickland was the manager. The suit claims Strickland’s club did not match the description given by the victims. The victims were also not able to describe Strickland.
Police charged Strickland and he told them during an interview that the victims were never at the club.
Strickland later posted bond and return home to his children. The Department of Social Services later opened an investigation into their care, but that case was later dropped, according to the filing.
In 2018, test results showed that Strickland’s DNA was not found on either victim, the suit states. Strickland also states that Honeycutt spoke to police several times as charges were pending and never implicated Strickland.
Strickland says the police and Richardson knew before they dismissed the case that there was insufficient evidence. Still, the charges remained, as Strickland says, to create leverage to ensure Honeycutt continued to cooperate with the police.
Horry County police “maliciously prosecuted” Strickland, he argues. He also said the charges and false statements by the police and Richardson were defamatory. The suit asks for an unspecified amount of money.
