South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of Sean Benjamin Cushman, a 29-year-old resident of Graniteville, South Carolina. Cushman faces five charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, conducted the arrest with assistance from investigators at the Attorney General’s Office and the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), leading authorities to Cushman. According to investigators, Cushman was found in possession of files containing child sexual abuse material.
Cushman’s arrest took place on July 15, 2025. He is charged with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410). Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Wilson emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
“Child sexual abuse material,” or CSAM, is considered a more accurate term for these crimes than “pornography,” as it reflects that children cannot consent to such acts. Globally, CSAM is replacing the term child pornography for this reason.
