South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Colin Liam Moaratty, a 20-year-old resident of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Moaratty faces eight charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was carried out by investigators from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which operates under the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. The investigation also involved the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Secret Service, both part of the state's ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to investigators, Moaratty is accused of distributing and possessing files containing child sexual abuse material.
Moaratty was taken into custody on February 20, 2025. He is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), each carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Additionally, he faces five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410), which also carry penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment per count.
The Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case. 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 instead of "child pornography" to accurately describe these crimes without implying consent from victims.