Early this morning, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 23-year-old Timothy Schultheis, who was wanted by authorities in Arizona for the kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl.
The 12-year-old girl was found in Schultheis’s Kellie Court, Bluffton apartment unharmed.
Case History
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) contacted the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office regarding a fugitive who was wanted for kidnapping.
The FBI advised that 23-year-year old Timothy Schultheis was suspected of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl from Graham County, Arizona and bringing her to his Kelly Court apartment in Bluffton.
Schultheis was listed as a wanted person in the National Crime Information Center by Arizona authorities for kidnapping and custodial interference.
As a result, Sheriff’s Office investigators obtained a warrant for Schultheis arrest for Fugitive from Justice and a warrant to search his apartment for the girl.
Early this morning, Wednesday, March 30, 2020, Sheriff’s Office investigators, SWAT members and FBI agents served the search warrant at Schultheis’s apartment.
When deputies and FBI agents entered his apartment, Schultheis was immediately located and arrested.
The 12-year-old girl was found unharmed in Schultheis’s apartment.
Schultheis was transported to the Beaufort County Detention Center and incarcerated. He will be held awaiting extradition to Arizona.
The 12-year-old girl was taken to the Savannah Memorial Hospital for an evaluation. She has since been released and soon will be reunited with family.
Schultheis out on bond for 2020 Offenses
On September 18, 2020, Aiken County authorities contacted the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office regarding two sisters, 10 and 12 years old, who had been kidnapped from their Aiken County residence.
Sheriff’s Office deputies followed up on the leads and identified the subject as 22-year-old Timothy Schultheis, who resided at the Spa apartments on Hilton Head Island.
Deputies went to Schultheis apartment and made contact with him.
At Schultheis apartment, deputies found the 12-year-old girl and learned that Schultheis had previously driven her 10-year-old sister back to Aiken County, where he dropped her off at a church close to her residence.
The 12-year-old girl was evaluated at the Hilton Head Hospital, where it was disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted by Schultheis.
Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Schultheis and charged him with Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor 2nd Degree.
He was taken to the Beaufort County Detention and incarcerated.
Schultheis posted bond and was released that same day.
Investigators obtained a warrant to search Schultheis’s apartment.
In Schultheis’s apartment, investigators located and seized a mobile telephone and other electronic devices, which were subjected to forensic analyses.
As a result of those analyses, on December 22, 2020, Schultheis was arrested and charged with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor 3rd Degree and one count of Unlawful to Disseminate Obscene Material to a Person under 18 years of age.
Again, Schultheis posted bond and was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center the following day.
As a condition of his bond, Schultheis was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.
Schultheis electronic monitor was on his ankle at the time of this morning’s arrest.
