A Bluffton resident has been arrested on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. The arrest of Rio Dirk Mahealani Galiza, aged 34, was carried out by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from investigators from the Attorney General's Office.
The case unfolded after the investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report led them to Galiza, who is accused of manufacturing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Galiza was taken into custody on April 7, 2025, and now faces four charges. The charges include one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison; one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Notably, Galiza was already out on bond following a prior arrest on similar charges dating back to 2024.
Attorney General Wilson has confirmed that the Attorney General's Office will be prosecuting the case. Meanwhile, he emphasized the presumption of innocence for all defendants until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The term "child sexual abuse material," or CSAM, is used to accurately describe the nature of the crimes involved, contrasting the term "pornography," which may imply consent.