South Carolina officials announced the arrest of Leo James Irvine, 27, from Hartsville, on multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest, made on April 28, 2025, involved cooperation from Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators under the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, alongside the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Secret Service, all members of the state’s ICAC Task Force.
The investigation began after a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicated that Irvine was involved in the distribution of child sexual abuse material. He faces five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, each a felony that can result in up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Attorney General Alan Wilson emphasized, “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.” The legal proceedings will be managed by the Attorney General’s Office. The terminology used in such cases has shifted from “child pornography” to “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) to more accurately describe the nature of these crimes.
