Sumter deputies arrest man after alleged abuse of a vulnerable adult

A 24-year-old man awaits a bond hearing after being arrested for allegedly mistreating a vulnerable adult and preventing her from leaving the residence.

At around midnight on Friday, Aug. 23, requests for a welfare check on a family member by loved ones led Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies to a residence in the Wedgefield community. Upon arrival, deputies met Nathanael Timothy Jackson, 24, of Squaw Valley Road, who was standing on the porch of a dark home. As they approached, they could hear a female voice inside, screaming for help, according to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.

Deputies detained Jackson and entered the home to find a victim bleeding and with her hair cut off, Bordeaux said. Because of being partially paralyzed, the victim had been unable to protect herself from Jackson, and he allegedly removed her walker and other items that could be used to assist in her escaping the home.

Jackson allegedly also destroyed the victim’s phone and Life Alert button to prevent her from getting help. The victim told deputies that after being unable leave or call for help, she was “just trying to stay alive.”

“This heartbreaking situation should remind all of us to check on our family members and neighbors who live alone or may be vulnerable,” said Sheriff Anthony Dennis. “Our Community Watch Neighborhoods try to do this, and I hope everyone will check on their neighbors and call us if they are concerned.”

Jackson was arrested and charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult and kidnapping, according to Bordeaux. He was taken to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where he remains.