Photo Courtesy Beaufort County Detention Center: Timothy M. Schultheis, 26 of Hilton Head, South Carolina, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity.
By Jon Johnson
TUCSON – The South Carolina man who lured a 12-year-old Safford girl to his state to sexually assault her while already on bond for kidnapping and sexually assaulting another 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Timothy Mikell Schultheis, 26, of Hilton Head, South Carolina, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 27 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Schultheis also will have to register as a sex offender. He previously pleaded guilty to Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity on Jan. 10.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Schultheis, aka Jackson Oden, transported Betty Sue Taylor, a 12-year-old minor from Safford to South Carolina, with the intent to engage in sexual activity. After using social media to meet and groom the minor, Schultheis drove from South Carolina to Safford to pick her up and drive her back to his South Carolina residence. The investigation revealed Facebook communications between Betty Sue and then-24-year-old Schultheis, which included his travel plans and detailed his intention to participate in sexual conduct with her.
Betty Sue was found inside Schultheis’ Bluffton, South Carolina apartment 10 days after she initially went missing. Information on the whereabouts of the pair was gleaned from FBI agents.
“Our efforts to protect the public start with safeguarding our youth from predators on social media,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Defendant will have a long time in custody to reflect on his crimes, and upon release decades from now, his supervised release conditions will restrict his use of smartphones and encryption technology to further protect the community.”
“This sentencing puts a stop to Timothy Schulthies and his repeated offenses. He can no longer hurt children or their families across the country,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis. “This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to follow the evidence wherever it leads. We will use all tools available to bring to justice those who seek to harm children. We are extremely grateful for the swift actions of our law enforcement partners who worked nonstop to locate and apprehend Schultheis.”
Schultheis was out of custody on bond awaiting adjudication in his South Carolina cases when he allegedly kidnapped Taylor from Safford. The plea agreement in this case required that Schultheis plead guilty to the South Carolina charges of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. In October 2023 he was sentenced to 20 years in that case. Because Schultheis took the victim across state lines in the Safford matter the case was a federal offense.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Sierra Vista and the Graham County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carin Duryee, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
