South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Jeshante Sanchez Wilson, 34, from Piedmont, South Carolina, following an investigation connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. The arrest was executed by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, with support from the Attorney General's Office, also part of the state's ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which pointed them to Wilson. The investigators claim Wilson possessed files of child sexual abuse material.
On July 28, 2023, Wilson was taken into custody and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree, under section §16-15-410. This felony offense carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison for each count.
The Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that all defendants are deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Additionally, it was noted that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is considered a more accurate term for these types of abusive crimes. Unlike "pornography," which can suggest consent, CSAM accurately reflects the nature of the material. Efforts are underway globally to replace the term child pornography with CSAM for clarity.