Man sentenced to 10 years for interstate stalking for 2019 drive from South Carolina to Maine
Jan. 7—If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault's 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
A South Carolina man was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for interstate stalking after he drove a woman from South Carolina to Maine two-and-a-half years ago and threatened and assaulted her, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Dustin Beach, 27, of Green Pond, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to the charge last June in U.S. District Court in Portland. In exchange for his guilty plea, federal prosecutors dropped two counts of kidnapping and one count of witness tampering, according to court documents.
As part of the agreement, U.S. District George Singal imposed the maximum sentence allowed for the crime.
Beach drove a woman in his truck from South Carolina to Maine in July 2019, according to court documents. During the drive, Beach threatened the victim and assaulted her with his hands and other objects, including a hammer, a metal chain and the truck's ripped-out center console. He also used a knife to cut her arms and legs.
At a rest stop in Maryland, the victim tried to get bystanders to call 911 for her so she could get help, but they refused to assist her, court documents said.
In sentencing Beach, Singal called the South Carolina man's conduct "sadistic" and found him to be "a danger to society," the U.S. attorney's office said.
In addition to prison time, Singal sentenced Beach to three years of supervised release.
Beach had been held without bail since his arrest in July 2019. That time will be credited to his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee praised the work of law enforcement in response to a "vicious crime."
"I hope the example of this prosecution and the significant sentence imposed by the court sends a clear message that such violence will not be tolerated in the district of Maine," she said.
