South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Lawson Tate Still, a 21-year-old resident of Greenwood, South Carolina. Still faces two charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by investigators from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force within the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. The investigation received support from several other agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, Greenville County Sheriff's Office, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) directed authorities to Still. According to investigators, Still allegedly engaged in sexual extortion of a minor to obtain child sexual abuse material.
Lawson Tate Still was arrested on October 21, 2024. He is charged with one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-395), which is classified as a felony and carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Additionally, he faces one count of sexual extortion (§16-15-430(C)(1)), an aggravated felony offense that also has a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
*Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is considered a more accurate term for such offenses than "child pornography," which can imply consent by the minor involved. The shift toward using CSAM reflects this understanding globally.