SOUTH CAROLINA
The State
By LAUREN LEACH
Staff Writer
Until recently, Kenneth “Tripp” Atkinson III planned to spend his life as a church minister.
But a rape allegation has destroyed the future of the 31-year-old student minister at First Baptist Church in Columbia, his attorney, Mike Grammer of Myrtle Beach, said.
“He has a four-year degree in religious studies. His whole plan was to be a minister. I can’t imagine what could happen to get that back,” Grammer said.
Atkinson surrendered Wednesday at the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, where he served as a reserve deputy from January 2002 until May 2004. He was charged with raping a 13-year-old Surfside Beach girl three years ago when he was the youth minister at Pawleys Island Community Church. He was released on $30,000 bail and ordered not to contact the girl.