Wife of serial pedophile gets one year probation

The wife of a serial pedophile was sentenced to probation Tuesday for pleading guilty to having sex with an underage boy.

Susan Meloan, 70, of North Augusta, entered an Alford plea to the charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended on the service of one year probation, 100 hours of community service and a letter of apology sent to her victim.

She pleaded guilty to the crime of having sex with an underage boy, a 16-year-old.

There was no plea negotiation or recommendation of sentence from the solicitor's office.

Meloan is the wife of Edward Meloan, a convicted child molester who received a 78-year sentence in 2007.

Edward Meloan, 75, pleaded guilty to a dozen child sex crimes - five counts of performing lewd acts on a child, six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

An Alford plea means the defendant did not specifically admit her guilt but acknowledges there is overwhelming evidence against her.

Susan Meloan admitted to the crime on two occasions. Once in a conversation with the victim, and once in a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) interview.

Also, her victim has provided extremely detailed, intimate information about Susan Meloan and the inside of her home.

Susan Meloan was originally charged with committing a lewd act on a minor - a far more serious sex crime that can be punished with more than a decade in jail and sex offender registration.

However, according to Solicitor Strom Thurmond Jr., because of the believed age of her victim at the time of the attack, Susan Meloan could not be charged under the statute because the law as it read in the 1970s did not include 16-year-olds.

It was revealed in court that the victim did not wish to pursue charges against Susan Meloan as he believed she was coerced into the act by her husband.

The victim told the solicitor's office this and repeated his request to the court via a letter.

Edward Meloan's charges date back to the late '60s through the mid-'70s and came to light in 2007 when one of his victims contacted North Augusta Public Safety. In total, the charges represented six male victims who were under the age of 14 at the time the acts occurred.

Edward Meloan pleaded guilty 2007 and was sentenced to 78 years in prison. He is currently serving his sentence at a prison in Columbia.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.