Eric Phifer, a 42-year-old resident of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has been arrested on charges related to the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was announced by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and was carried out by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Mount Pleasant Police Department. The U.S. Marshals Service, part of the state's ICAC task force, assisted in the investigation.
According to investigators, Phifer solicited someone he believed to be a minor for sex and sent sexually explicit images to this individual.
Phifer's arrest took place on February 21, 2025. He faces three counts of criminal solicitation of a minor under §16-15-342, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment. Additionally, he is charged with one count of attempted dissemination of obscene material to an individual under eighteen (§16-15-345), which also carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
The Attorney General's Office will prosecute this case. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that "all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law."