Last Updated on April 29, 2023 7:21 pm
A Watauga County native and former North Carolina Highway Patrolman has been arrested on numerous sexual assault and child trafficking charges.
The Charleston County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested David William Hollars, age 55, on six charges related to the sexual assault, exploitation and trafficking of a teenage girl. Hollars, who now lives in Palm Cove Drive in Charleston, faces charges of trafficking in persons under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor and two counts each of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
“This is an incredibly disturbing case,” Sheriff Kristin Graziano said. “Our investigation is ongoing, as we continue to follow leads and information in the case. Our hearts go out to the victim, and we have made ourselves available to her and her family as she begins her recovery from this trauma. No child should ever go through this.”
A parent of the 15-year-old victim reported the crimes to CCSO in late March. The ensuing investigation showed that the girl was 14 when she met Hollars through the messaging app Snapchat. CCSO detectives found evidence of text messages containing sexually explicit conversations. The victim also described multiple meetings involving sexual contact and instances of Hollars providing money or items in exchange for sexual contact.
The investigation expanded to other jurisdictions. On Monday, Charleston police officers and CCSO deputies, along with state and federal partners, searched Hollars’ home in Berkeley County. He was arrested by Charleston police on charges involving the same victim. Hollars was transferred and booked Wednesday at the Al Cannon Detention Center on the CCSO charges.
Anyone with information on this case or similar cases can contact CCSO at 843-202-1700 or after hours at 843-743-7200.
According to Hollars Linkedin page, he graduated from Watauga High in 1986, worked as a Town of Blowing Rock Police Officer from May 1995 to May 1997, and as a North Carolina Highway Patrolman from January 1995 to July 2016. His page states he recently was a Boat Captain with Charleston Harbor Tours & Events.
Photo: Charleston County Sheriff’s Office
