Girl's Statement Initiated Durant Investigation

By Braden Bunch
The Item
June 25, 2013

http://www.theitem.com/news/local_news/girl-s-statement-initiated-durant-investigation/article_99895109-1b73-5cd4-937a-c3961f47f2d9.html

A young girl having the courage to come forward with her family in mid-May and tell police what happened to her prompted the month-long investigation ultimately leading to the arrest of a local minister on criminal sexual conduct charges, officials with the Sumter Police Department said Monday.

On Friday, Sumter law enforcement charged 58-year-old Larry DuRant, pastor of Word International Ministries on North Guignard Drive, with a total of eight various criminal sexual conduct charges, including two charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor between the ages of 11 and 14. DuRant was released from the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center on Saturday afternoon after meeting a $120,000 bond set earlier in the day.

Contact: bbunch@theitem.com