Newly Released Sex Offender Accused Of Luring, Attacking College Student

A sex offender recently released from prison has been accused of attacking and kidnapping a student who attends Clemson University in South Carolina, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office reports.
57-year-old Darrell Scott Brooks was convicted in 2003 of criminal sexual conduct, according to law enforcement records, and was released this spring, according to the Sheriff’s office’s statement posted on Instagram.
Authorities say that on September 10, he encountered a female student at an apartment complex in Clemson, and convinced her to give him a ride to his car, which he said had broken down.
The statement alleges that Brooks forced the college student to pull over while she was driving towards campus into the parking lot of Fants Grove Baptist Church.
The statement says Brooks “attacked the young woman with a folding razor blade knife, assaulting her further by attempting to pin her down.”
A passerby, referred to as “a good samaritan” by authorities, reportedly heard the woman’s calls for help and helped her escape. The Sheriff’s statement says Brooks took off in her car and drove into Seneca, South Carolina.
Local outlet FOX Carolina reports that Oconee County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the car and tried to pull it over, but it led to a chase as deputies pursued Brooks, who reportedly crossed double yellow lines and crashed into an embankment, where he was apprehended after trying to run from the scene.
Brooks has been charged with kidnapping, grand larceny, and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, among other crimes, according to the outlet.
Brooks had reportedly been convicted after he held a woman captive in her Seneca home for 15 hours while raping her and threatening to kill her with a knife before she was able to escape, local outlet The Post and Courier reports.
The Sheriff’s office wrote in a statement that the investigation is ongoing and authorities are preparing for prosecution.
Clemson University officials are reportedly in contact with the student to ensure she has everything she needs and is recovering from the incident.
Newsweek has contacted the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation, for updates and comment on the incident. In their statement, the office said it was unable to provide further information, saying, “Protecting the integrity of this investigation is paramount in providing justice for this victim.”
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact [email protected].