A Beaufort County man has been arrested on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Adam Thomas Steele, 36, from Bluffton, S.C., faces 10 charges following an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The arrest was carried out by investigators from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Steele is accused of possessing files containing child sexual abuse material. He was taken into custody on March 21, 2025, and charged with 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor under §16-15-410. Each count is a felony offense that carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
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.
The term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) is used to describe these crimes more accurately than “pornography,” which can suggest consent from the child involved. Globally, CSAM is replacing the term child pornography for this reason.
