Attorneys for Woman Sexually Assaulted by Upstate Police Officer Encourage Additional Victims to Come Forward

Travelers Rest, SC - Attorneys with The Strom Law Firm announced today that they are representing the Upstate woman who was sexually assaulted by Travelers Rest police officer Gerard James Hildebrandt on the campus of Travelers Rest High School in July. Hildebrandt was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and misconduct in office last month and attorneys are encouraging any additional victims to step forward.

“As disgusting and unthinkable crimes like this are, they typically don’t happen in a vacuum.”

“This woman has shown real courage,” said Bakari Sellers, an attorney with Strom Law Firm representing the survivor. “She didn’t just stand up to a predator. She stood up to a predator with a badge and to the police department that put him in a uniform despite a troubling history.”

“Crimes like this don’t happen in a vacuum and we encourage anyone else assaulted by Hildebrandt to follow this survivor’s example. We’ll be proud to stand with you.”

According to reports, Hildebrandt worked for the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the SC Probation, Parole and Pardon Services before joining the Travelers Rest Police Department. He was dismissed from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office in August 2021, less than a year before the sexual assault, after violating department policy by grabbing the neck of a man in custody with his hands cuffed behind his back.