Update: Va. trooper accused of strangling, sexually assaulting woman at Myrtle Beach hotel
A Virginia State Police trooper has been arrested on multiple charges after an incident that occurred at a Myrtle Beach resort on Labor Day.
Darren Hampton Roberts, 30, was charged with first-degree domestic violence, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping by Myrtle Beach Police.
The incident happened about 1 a.m. Sept. 2, at the Caribbean Resort and Villas at 3000 N. Ocean Blvd., according to police reports.
Roberts is accused of holding a woman against her will on a bed and assaulting her after an argument, according to an arrest warrant.
The victim, who had multiple visible injuries on her body, told police that she and Roberts have lived together for the past two months. The victim said that Roberts had assaulted her the night before in their hotel room, holding her down on the bed and strangling her, according to the warrant.
During the sexual assault, the victim told Roberts to stop repeatedly, the warrant said.
Police talked to the victim’s mother over the phone who provided text messages between her and the victim that indicated the assault occurred earlier on Sept. 1, an incident report said.
Virginia State Police was notified Sept. 2 about the arrest.
Roberts is a trooper assigned to the Wytheville Division Area 24 Office in Pulaski County, according to an email from Matthew Demlein, interim public relations director.
Roberts has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, he said.
Roberts was released from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Sept. 4, on a $20,000 bond.
