South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Darryn Eugene Himes, a 45-year-old resident of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Himes faces ten charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, with support from several other agencies.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Himes possessed files containing child sexual abuse material. He was taken into custody on January 28, 2025.
Himes is charged with ten counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under section §16-15-410. Each count carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison. It is noted that Himes had been released on bond following a previous arrest on similar charges in 2023.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that "all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law."
The term "child sexual abuse material" or CSAM is used to accurately describe the content involved in these crimes, as opposed to "pornography," which can misleadingly suggest consent by the victimized children.