Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the sentencing of an Anderson County man for sex crimes against minors. Julio Cesar De La Cruz Reyes pleaded guilty on July 16th to one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 3rd degree, and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd degree.
The investigation began on August 18, 2023, when Special Investigator Kevin Atkins from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office conducted a proactive investigation into a file-sharing network used for distributing and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material. Investigator Atkins identified a user sharing files from Reyes’ residence in Anderson County. A search warrant was executed at Reyes’ home on February 9, 2024. During questioning by law enforcement, Reyes admitted ownership of the child sexual abuse material and disclosed that he had sexually assaulted a minor in Anderson County. He was taken into custody immediately. A forensic examination led by Jamie Johnson revealed 392 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone.
Judge R. Lawton McIntosh sentenced Reyes to serve 15 years for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor and 10 years for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor at the SC Department of Corrections. The sentences will run concurrently with credit for time served. Reyes is required to register as a sex offender.
