South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of James Everette Nesbitt, a 48-year-old resident of Florence, South Carolina. The arrest is related to two charges concerning the sexual exploitation of a minor. The South Carolina Attorney General's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators conducted the arrest. They were supported by several agencies, including the Florence County Sheriff's Office, Florence Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Secret Service, all part of the state's ICAC Task Force.
The investigation was initiated following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led authorities to Nesbitt. According to investigators, Nesbitt was involved in distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Nesbitt was taken into custody on March 5, 2025. He faces one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405), and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410). Both charges are felony offenses that carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison each.
It is noted that Nesbitt has prior convictions on similar charges from 2013 and 2023. The Attorney General's Office will handle the prosecution.
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" (CSAM) is used to describe these offenses as it more accurately reflects the nature of these crimes compared to terms like "pornography," which may suggest consent by minors. This terminology shift aims to provide clarity about the non-consensual nature inherent in such materials.